Straight-Line Leadership Open

During the Straight-Line Leadership Open, we brought members and non-members together on the golf course for the first time. The entrepreneurs played eighteen holes at The Dutch. Members of Straight-Line Leadership had the opportunity to treat people from their network to a relaxing day at the number one golf course in the Netherlands. Relationships were strengthened, with effectiveness and leadership as the underlying themes.

Strengthening relationships at the Championship level

“I immediately felt completely welcome at The Dutch,” says participant and Mentorship member Karsten Foekens. The Dutch is a luxury Dutch golf club featuring a championship-level Inland Links Course. “From the welcome to the closing dinner, it felt like a true five-star experience.” For Karsten, the value of the Straight-Line Leadership Open lay in its inspiring environment. “The combination of a relaxed game, meeting new entrepreneurs, and the powerful environment of Straight-Line Leadership made it worthwhile for me,” says Karsten. “Add a top-notch location like The Dutch to that, and you have a fantastic setting. I won’t forget that day anytime soon.”

A mind game

Golf and business leadership have a lot in common. In golf, the player with the lowest score wins. The player who needs the fewest strokes to reach the hole wins. It’s all about effectiveness. In business, too, the leader who needs the fewest actions to achieve their goal wins. An effective leader is a successful leader. This makes golf, as a sport, a perfect fit for the work of Straight-Line Leadership. “Golf is a mental game,” says Karsten. “The challenge was to stay out of your head throughout the day. If you hit a bad shot, it’s easy to get frustrated, which causes you to hit the next shot badly too.” Your effectiveness declines rapidly if you can’t stay out of your head. That applies in golf and in business.

A mixed group

“I spent the whole Thursday at the club,” said Karsten. “But it was definitely not a wasted day. I met other passionate entrepreneurs and, above all, talked with them a lot—about their challenges and their outlook on life. The mix of members and non-members was very interesting. The entrepreneurs who weren’t part of our conversation asked me questions about my work, which allowed me to share my experience and see that they were taking it to heart. Conversely, I also learned from them. I’ve noticed that entrepreneurs who aren’t part of the conversation have a different way of thinking. They share it based on their personal experience. As a relatively young leader, I can take things away from that.”

Due to its success, the Straight-Line Leadership Open will be held again in 2023. “I’ll definitely be there,” says Karsten. “As this year’s winner, I have to defend my title, after all.”