Tom Kim is one of the best golfers in the world.
Kim is currently ranked 36th and played all four days of the Master’s Golf Tournament last weekend.
Kim’s playing partner on Saturday morning was a stand-in.
You couldn’t find the guy’s name in the tournament program, and he wasn’t permitted to give interviews. His name wasn’t announced on the first tee, and his caddie’s uniform didn’t have anything on it that identified him.
He was a complete mystery to anyone who might have seen him walk down the fairway with Kim.
Each year, this mysterious man who plays Augusta National on the weekends as a member gets to play in the tournament without ever qualifying for the field. The Club doesn’t talk about him, and the broadcast crews are instructed not to show him on camera.
So, who in the world is this guy?
The Masters organizes their play in twosomes on the Saturdays and Sundays after the cut is made. So, if an odd number of players make it to the weekend, tournament officials bring in what they call a non-competitive Marker. The Marker plays with the first scheduled player out on Saturday morning so that they have someone to play with.
The privilege of being that Marker is traditionally given to the best player among the Members at Augusta National. This year, the honor went to a CEO who runs a small financial company in the Philadelphia area.
How did this stand-in do? Tom Kim, in his post-tournament press conference, called him a “complete baller,” which is another way of saying this guy can really play.
Imagine living the dream of playing in the most prestigious golf tournament in the world without being able to announce yourself or talk about it.
Most CEOs aren’t very good at staying out of the spotlight, but the role required it, and this Philadelphia native lived up to the task.
Which brings us to the point.
A CEO who can’t play the role of a Marker inside their own organization is probably not much of a Chief Executive. To act nothing more than a guy or gal standing in on some project or task is exactly what makes them worth following.
Good leaders at all levels know how to present themselves and understand the importance of speaking up and speaking out. But they also know when to turn off those impulses when needed.
The best leaders act as a Marker on purpose at times to exercise this muscle and to show others that they are not above playing any role the organization needs.
The flexibility to sometimes be the outspoken leader and sometimes be the Marker doesn’t come naturally for anyone. It takes humility, confidence, and a knowledge of what leadership is all about.
For Augusta’s Michael McDermott, it probably took a lot of practice. We’re betting he started perfecting this skill as he grew his own company.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
