Show up. Keep up. Shut up.

A caddy receives that bare bones instruction before his first loop and I’ve seen the principle of that statement applied by those around me, with sayings like:

“Do the bare minimum.” “Strive for mediocrity.” “Thank god it’s Friday…Oh god, it’s Monday.”

You can hear those phrases in high school classrooms, sports fields, and office buildings around the world. It’s a means of keeping the status quo. By discouraging the best and brightest from putting the time and effort it takes to become great, those without the drive and work ethic protect themselves by “fitting in” and poking fun at those who do go above and beyond what it expected.

That’s why golf appealed to me. I could work as hard as I wanted, without having to conform to any schedules other than the one I set for myself.

Now, as a scratch golfer, I know what I need to play my best: in terms of confidence, preparation, equipment, course strategy, nutrition, and judging what advice to take and when. I draw from that experience to make the ones for the players I caddy for the best they have known.

As a caddy, you not only have to know what your player’s needs are but know them before he does, by being a guide, a teacher, and a friend. Building the trust to show them the best shot to play, give them confirmation on a shot choice of their own, call them off a shot, or even something as simple as handing them a bottle of water to keep them hydrated and focused on a hot day.

Don’t just do your job, do it well and take pride in it. A wise man once said leadership is not necessarily stepping forward, but not stepping back when everyone else around you does.