By Jana Love
From someone that spent 19 years as Arnold Palmer's neighbor from October to April each year, his passing hit me hard. Most of us know him as the "King of Golf," which is very true, but, with or without the golf status, there is no denying the impact that he had on the very young, to the very old, and across many industries. His statistics in golf are indisputable, and the respect and admiration he commanded as a human being are nothing short of extraordinary. Pete Jansons wrote an article in the HiringSite blog powered by CareerBuilders called, 5 Small Business Leadership Lessons from Arnold Palmer, and it got my attention. Why? ProSolutions is almost 28 years old, and remains a small business. Any lesson from the "King" is more than worth my time.
Jansons put together five of Mr. Palmer's famous quotes about success and how he achieved it, and how small business leaders can capitalize on it. However, that being said, there is not a quote here that doesn't provide rich insight to any person or industry. Take a look ~
As a small business owner, these quotes certainly speak to me. Through all of the years in business that we have under our belt, we have had to learn by doing, through concentration, a lot of confidence, and wanting it bad! Our road has not always been smooth, by any means, but what I am very proud of is how we have embraced our setbacks and forged forward with strength and confidence from lessons learned. It is there where we learn the most about who we are as a company and who we are as individuals. As Mr. Palmer said, our road is always under construction. I feel this quote especially applies to all industries because we are never "done." We must always push for more ~ more understandings, more business, more success, and more confidence and to strive for what looks like cannot be done.
We all have champions in our lives that influence us, and as you now know, Mr. Palmer was one of mine. I will always be grateful. U.S. Golf Association said in a statement, "Arnold Palmer will always be a champion, in every sense of the word. He inspired generations to love golf by sharing his competitive spirit, displaying sportsmanship, caring for golfers and golf fans, and serving as a lifelong ambassador for the sport. Our stories of him not only fill the pages of golf’s history books and the walls of the museum, but also our own personal golf memories. The game is indeed better because of him, and in so many ways, will never be the same."