Europe’s Ryder Cup Win: Lessons in Team, Leadership and Winning at the Margins
On Sunday, Europe lifted the Ryder Cup – a brilliant win built not on individual brilliance alone, but on teamwork, leadership, and clarity of purpose.
What struck me watching it was how much of it mirrors what we talk about in business:
▪️ Team: Yes, the Ryder Cup is golf – but it’s not about lone players. It’s about individuals coming together, trusting each other, and delivering for the team. In business, your results will always reflect the strength of your people and how aligned they are.
▪️ Leadership: Luke Donald wasn’t the one hitting the shots, but his calm authority, strategy, and ability to get the best out of his players set the tone. Leaders don’t need to do everything – they need to create the conditions for others to excel.
▪️ Mindset: Every player dreamt of this moment, but dreams alone don’t win trophies. It was mindset – the ability to stay composed under pressure, to focus on process, not outcome – that turned goals into reality.
▪️ Focus on Marginal Gains: Golf is a game of inches. So is business. Small improvements, tiny tweaks, and attention to detail compound into winning margins.
And it wasn’t just the Ryder Cup that reminded me of this.
On Saturday, the England women’s rugby team won the World Cup – another performance built on discipline, clarity, teamwork, and belief. Different sport, same ingredients.
Whether it’s golf, rugby, or business… success doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when you’ve got a clear plan, the right people in the right seats, a shared goal, and the resilience to keep going under pressure.
So my question to you is this:
Where do you need to think more like a Ryder Cup team captain in your business right now?
On Sunday, Europe lifted the Ryder Cup – a brilliant win built not on individual brilliance alone, but on teamwork, leadership, and clarity of purpose.
What struck me watching it was how much of it mirrors what we talk about in business:
▪️ Team: Yes, the Ryder Cup is golf – but it’s not about lone players. It’s about individuals coming together, trusting each other, and delivering for the team. In business, your results will always reflect the strength of your people and how aligned they are.
▪️ Leadership: Luke Donald wasn’t the one hitting the shots, but his calm authority, strategy, and ability to get the best out of his players set the tone. Leaders don’t need to do everything – they need to create the conditions for others to excel.
▪️ Mindset: Every player dreamt of this moment, but dreams alone don’t win trophies. It was mindset – the ability to stay composed under pressure, to focus on process, not outcome – that turned goals into reality.
▪️ Focus on Marginal Gains: Golf is a game of inches. So is business. Small improvements, tiny tweaks, and attention to detail compound into winning margins.
And it wasn’t just the Ryder Cup that reminded me of this.
On Saturday, the England women’s rugby team won the World Cup – another performance built on discipline, clarity, teamwork, and belief. Different sport, same ingredients.
Whether it’s golf, rugby, or business… success doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when you’ve got a clear plan, the right people in the right seats, a shared goal, and the resilience to keep going under pressure.
So my question to you is this:
Where do you need to think more like a Ryder Cup team captain in your business right now?