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The Way of the Shark: Lessons on Golf, Business, and Life

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As a lifelong golfer and equally devoted reader of book about the game, I was somewhat curious about Norman's latest. After all, he's certainly out of the spotlight as a golfer so what's the purpose of this late-issue autobiography?

Let's say this: if Greg Norman is your hero, if you worship the ground he walks on, then I suppose you will fine this effort...uh... awesome. For someone slightly more critical, I will say that the content is less-than-inspiring. During his years as the number one ranked golfer (and did that mean he was really the BEST, or simply one whose high finishes in run-of-the-mill events put him there) I was neutral toward Norman, and I still am. Sure, I thought he cut a dashing figure on the golf course, despite that ridiculous hat, but there was always something a bit false about him. Perhaps, of course, that stems from his many failures in majors -- after all, if he was truly as bold and dynamic as he liked to portray himself, wouldn't he have won a great deal more?

But I digress. The book is written in a most pedestrian style, perhaps designed to appeal to Australian teenagers who still have posters from the 1986 British Open still on their walls. Norman's version of his greatest defeat, at the hands of Nick Faldo in the 1996 Masters, tells us how he played beautifully for three days, but even before teeing off in the final round, he tells us that his "hands felt funny," telling caddie Tony Navarro, "It's going to be a long day." Well, it was a long day, as Norman blew a six shot lead to finish third. Hmmm... nerves never had a thing to do with the detonation?

Greg Norman devotes a whole chapter to his befriending of young cancer victim Jamie Hutton at the Heritage and offers countless other examples of just what a splendid fellow he, Greg, is. Still, if you're looking for any golf insight, it's just not here. The last two-thirds of the tome is Greg Norman tooting his own horn about his all-important "brand," his many business deals -- without his own money, of course -- and just what a little Donald Trump he's determined to be. All this is both tiresome and uninteresting. The constant crowing about his stellar character are, themselves a complete contradiction. Perhaps one of his "good friends" will one day mention the virtues of modesty. (And while it's none of my business, how does one dump his loyal wife of some 25 years to take up with Chris Evert?)

I strongly suggest you pass.

How unique, indeed refreshing it is to read a book by and about a professional athlete, unlike so many others past or current, who has achieved great success both in athletic competition and in the business world. In this volume that Greg Norman wrote with Donald T. Phillips, he shares the lessons he has learned thus far (he continues to compete on a limited basis) "in golf, business, and life." It is important to note that when writing a book as well as when preparing for a major tournament or conducting due diligence on a business opportunity, it makes sense to enlist the assistance of others who can provide the knowledge and experience needed to achieve success. I commend Norman on selecting Phillips -- who collaborated so well with Mike Krzyzewski on Leading with the Heart and also wrote Lincoln on Leadership and The Founding Fathers on Leadership - but there can be no doubt that the insights and, of equal importance, the "voice" in this book are Norman's.

Others have their reasons for praising this book. Here are three of mine. First of all, Norman's candor. This was especially obvious when, in Chapter Twenty-Five, he discusses his final round at the 1996 Masters. I was in Virginia that Sunday on a business trip, playing a relaxed round of golf with a friend before a series of stressful meetings the following week. When we teed off, Norman had played the first several holes, well ahead of the field; after we completed the round, we were shocked to learn that he had not won the tournament. How could that be? Later, I saw a telecast of the news conference, one that many golfers would have avoided, responding to questions that many of them would have evaded. "I screwed up today. My thought pattern was good but my rhythm was off. My good shots weren't good enough and my bad shots were pitiful. And that's pretty much it. Just didn't have it today. I place all the blame on myself." Of course, he was grateful for the strong support he received from family members and friends as well as from Jack Nicklaus, Raymond Floyd, Fred Couples, and countless other players. Norman may have failed to win the Masters that year but at the same time demonstrated qualities of character which continue to earn respect and admiration for him, both on and off the course.

I was also fascinated by all that he shares about his various business activities. He is a ferocious but principled competitor. Over the years, he and his associates have build a multi-national corporation focused around golf and the golf lifestyle (e.g. clothing, real estate, sporting goods, wines, gold course design, restaurants, and event management). Norman is an active and involved chairman and CEO of Great White Enterprises which now generates hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue. His approach to leadership and management in the business world seems exactly the same as when playing competitive golf: set ambitious goals, assemble the "best and brightest" people, rigorously prepare, keep ultimate objectives in mind while focusing on significant details, explore all appropriate opportunities, measure only what really matters, never confuse pride with arrogance, welcome constructive criticism, be resilient when circumstances require adjustment, and remain convinced of achieving success eventually, preferably ASAP. As Norman learned on the golf course, there are some pars that are as valuable as birdies, there are some hazards to be avoided even at the cost of a par, that there are sucker pin placements which require a "safe" shot, and that sometimes what seems to be a perfect putt simply won't go in the hole. In this book, Norman cites dozens of examples of comparable situations during his career as a corporate executive.

Finally, I admire the humanity that Norman is willing to reveal so generously. For various reasons, many celebrity athletes are viewed as role models and even as icons. Over time, they become very protective of how they are perceived by the general public. (Joe DiMaggio is one example that comes immediately to mind.) In this instance, I am not referring to protection of privacy that I think is every person's right. Rather, I mean to suggest that it is rare that an athlete of Norman's stature and achievement is willing to discuss, even celebrate those in his life - over the years - whom he has most loved and most respected as well as those whose friendship he most appreciates. He recalls many fond moments, dark moments, lucky breaks, and other ingredients of his life and career thus far. Throughout the narrative, he gives full credit to those who have helped him but always assumes full responsibility for mistakes and failures of various kinds that he duly acknowledges.

When concluding his book, Norman observes, "In golf, you can always shoot a lower score. In business, you can always make another buck. And in life, you can always become a better person. The next minute is the most important minute of your life. You are limited only by your imagination. Your dreams are the blueprint of reality."

Really, this is not a "golf book" nor a "business book." Rather, it is a book about one man's pursuit of self-improvement and personal fulfillment while achieving success both in golf and in business. Greg Norman's journey continues, guided and informed by the lessons he has learned, lessons that can also be of substantial value to others who share his faith in what is possible and his determination to "go for it."

Who is the greatest athlete Australia has ever produced? Arguably it is Greg Norman. He is certainly the most well known. He has won 91 golf tournaments around the world, including 20 PGA tournaments in the U.S. and 2 British Opens.

Swimming and surfing were his original passions, but his mother's passion for golf captured young Norman as well, and after a stellar, but brief amateur career, he started as a golf professional trainee in 1975 for the magnificent sum of $38 per week--Australian!

If Arnold Palmer pioneered the "go-for-broke" attitude in modern golf, then Greg Norman certainly picked up the mantle from him. That attitude on the golf course carried over into business, and even to the writing of this book. Norman is willing to share his perspectives on the good, the bad, and the ugly--when most would want to focus only on the good.

You'll love his descriptions of his British Open victories (the good), his part in trying to start a World Tour which was quickly snuffed by the PGA Tour's response (the bad), and his meltdown on the final day of the Master's against Nick Faldo in 1996 when he lost a 6 shot lead and lost by 5 to finish third (the ugly). They are open and honest.

Norman also does a wonderful job of describing the business side of golf. At this point only Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus have done a better job of parlaying golf talent into business success. And Norman's success in helping build the Cobra Golf franchise, as well as his thriving gold course design business, clothing lines, etc., all make for fascinating reading.

Armchair Interviews says: Any golf aficionado will appreciate this book.

I am a greg norman fan and thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. highly suggest this book if you are a greg norman fan.

I'll bet you like Greg Norman. You think he's a good guy who fared well in the 80s and 90s. If you follow golf, you may know that he suffered some heartbreaking losses. You know that he has an apparel line, and a wine label serving the moderate market.

If this is you, I encourage you to pass up The Way of the Shark. Your knowledge and beliefs are adequate, correct enough, and not likely to be changed much by reading the book.

The fact is, I encourage everyone to pass up The Way of the Shark. If you want a biography, I presume there's a better one out there, and if you want Lessons on Golf, Business, and Life (the book's subtitle) you've come to the wrong place.

Mr. Norman does seem to be an authentically nice person. He is a philanthropist, a dedicated environmentalist, and he is sincerely interested in developing young people. He has indisputably built a business empire that will continue to produce big revenue long after he has retired.

The thing that Mr. Norman has lost sight of is that he is where he is because he can hit a little white ball really well, and is one of the most recognizable and good looking persons God ever created. He has unquestionably focused hard on building his empire, but it all started with some darn good name and face recognition and a few million to blow here and there until something caught hold. He seems to think instead that it was because of his insight, dedication, and awesome business acumen.

I do think a lot of his success has to do with what he aspires to. Take Tom Kite and Tom Watson. They both had successful and lucrative pro golf careers, but the fact that they have not built the empires that Norman has does not imply to me that they are unable, but rather that they are not interested. Norman aspires to a big yacht, jet, and helicopter, and by gum, he's got them. And good for him.

If you think that name and face recognition is not a big part of it, consider the NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson. While the man has won probably more money than Norman, his name is shared with at least one other celebrity, and he is as physically unrecognizable as Norman is recognizable. Johnson has won more now than Jeff Gordon did. Who do you think is the bigger endorsement draw? It's in the looks.

Norman's business trip certainly wasn't painless. His business endeavors seem to have generated about as many setbacks as his golfing career, and at times a tiresome and ironic victim theme comes through.

The book includes a list of platitudes, nearly all you have heard before (`Begin with an end in mind' (thought that was copyrighted)), some are excruciatingly trite. The one that is the most telling to me, in about half a dozen ways, is `Don't change the people, change the people.' For starters, the intended meaning cannot be conveyed with that collection of words plus or minus any special typography, no matter how hard you try. Moreover, if you think he means for you to stick with the people who have served you, and influence/improve their thoughts and decision making process, you would be mistaken.

So spend the dough on a bottle of Greg Norman wine, or a golf shirt with the shark logo on it. You'll get more satisfaction out of either of those than out of the book.

I LOVE Greg Norman and this book so far is AWESOME!!!! ANYTHING to do with him is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!