THE QUESTION
Tiger, the reluctant leader?
Tiger Woods has reacted to recent revelations about his marital infidelity as a husband trying to protect his family and a celebrity trying to protect his "brand." Has he ignored his other de facto role as "CEO of Golf," and, if so, what response would that require?
Posted by Steve Pearlstein and Raju Narisetti on December 7, 2009 12:48 PM
FROM THE PANEL
Four leadership lessons
You want to be a hero, a leader, a celebrity? Great. Then are you ready to sacrifice and give up what the rest of us can get away with?
Posted by Warren Bennis, on December 10, 2009 9:27 AM
Like women leaders
Woods now finds himself in a position familiar to many women leaders: struggling with the high expectations.
Posted by Marie Wilson, on December 10, 2009 6:39 AM
No option but one
Tiger should strive to make his public image as close as possible to the reality of who he is.
Posted by Bob Schoultz, on December 9, 2009 3:58 PM
Taking our money
While we must all respect a person's privacy, what's missing is the same thing the companies that received taxpayer dollars missed: the expectations and standards that come with taking money from the public.
Posted by Robert Goodwin, on December 9, 2009 10:33 AM
Paradise lost
Tiger the athlete is supremely disciplined and smart. We thought the person was, too. Sadly, Tiger the person appears to be extraordinarily undisciplined and stupid.
Posted by Benjamin W. Heineman, Jr., on December 9, 2009 10:25 AM
'God's own fool'
Justice and the art of good management really do require us, as Mark Twain recommends, to "contemplate with respect" the miscreants we encounter.
Posted by Robert Bruner, on December 9, 2009 10:05 AM
Maximum mea culpa
The best defense by far would have been not to have offended.
Posted by Slade Gorton, on December 9, 2009 10:01 AM
'Be like Tiger?'
For the "CEO of golf" or any other leader who is famous and highly regarded, transparency is crucial. He has to say everything that needs saying, and it must be in public, not on a Web site.
Posted by Yash Gupta, on December 8, 2009 2:49 PM
Gossip on a massive scale
Twittering about Tiger's affair is entertainment. Let's not elevate gossip to the level of discourse by pretending his private life has any impact on our own.
Posted by Coro Fellows, on December 8, 2009 2:31 PM
Protecting Tiger, Inc.
Why do we even care about his personal life? Perhaps it's because we have, inappropriately, placed too high of expectations on Tiger Woods to be a role model or to exercise leadership.
Posted by Ed O'Malley, on December 8, 2009 1:36 PM
A shirked responsibility
As a new kind of global leader, Tiger Woods carries a responsibility that cannot be shirked or stuffed in a drawer called "protecting his brand."
Posted by Nancy Koehn, on December 7, 2009 4:22 PM
'Choice' of perfections
It is a mistake to believe that someone who approaches perfection in one area can be perfect in all of life.
Posted by Michael Maccoby, on December 7, 2009 4:14 PM
Just a role model
Tiger Woods has shown himself not to be a responsible family man, but his power as a role model for success remains intact.
Posted by Howard Gardner, on December 7, 2009 1:57 PM
Caddying for us
We often do not understand the real character of famous people, or our friends for that matter, until we see them operate under duress.
Posted by Marty Linsky, on December 7, 2009 1:51 PM
Arrogance defined
Stiff arming the public that has respected him, admired him, and granted him his celebrity status reveals something about his character.
Posted by Beth A. Brooke, on December 7, 2009 1:27 PM
Surprisingly clueless
Golf is hard. Reacting to revelations of such personal failure isn't.
Posted by Ken Adelman, on December 7, 2009 1:10 PM
A divided life
At the core of authentic leadership is the necessity of ensuring that there is no material difference between one's on-stage life and one's back-stage life.
Posted by Bill Shore, on December 7, 2009 1:06 PM
Save & Share:
steviana: Tiger Woods is a very successful golfer and perhaps deserving of the name "CEO of golf", and an idol in ways more than one. But is he a lead...
Freethotlib: The US view of our athletes, entertainers and other "stars" is sad. We are looking for someone to emulate, look up to, follow, be our role m...
AmzgGrce: The days of Public Role Models are over. From religious leaders to sports figures, the bottom line is that these are humans and these 'role...
