Phil Mickelson lost his final round lead in the British Open golf tournament to the eventual winner Darren Clarke.  Mickelson bogied 5 of the final 9 holes, leading to his third place finish.  In an interview shortly after his loss in the PGA’s third of four major tournaments, Mickelson said this:  “It was a fun day.  Darren wasn’t going to make a mistake.  He played some great golf.” 

Phil Mickelson handles stressful situations with the grace of the champion he is.  In his public appearances he is always under control, always smiling, complimentary of his opponents, and honest about his performance.  He says that “The object of golf is not just to win.  It is to play like a gentleman, and win.”

The game of golf, like any other human activity, is filled with challenges and disappointments.  Professional golfers manage their challenges and their disappointments in front of millions of people.  Stress is ever-present.  So is ego.  People not blessed with high athletic ability or elevated positions in business but who work hard every day also suffer stress and also deal with ego.  They manage their challenges and their disappointments in front of family, in the workplace, and in the community.

The stress of an overinflated ego in which we believe our view of the world to be superior to everyone else’s view, or in which we believe our opinion on a topic is always the correct one, leads us to say and do things that we often later regret. 

We can learn from Phil Mickelson’s example.  He manages his ego and thus his stress by his thoughtful, purposeful, and sincere relationships with others, be it his family, his fellow professionals, the media, or the fans lining the fairways. 

Phil Mickelson’s successful world appears to be built on an easy smile, his memorable greeting, his willingness to listen to others, his others focus, and his ability to inspire his performance.  For more ideas on stress management look for our e-book Outfluence for Positive Stress, scheduled for publication the Fall of 2011.