2 Ears to Hear

If you play or watch golf, you know the scene at the 16th hole of the Waste Management Phoenix Open. If you don’t, picture this: dubbed "The Coliseum," this par-3, 163-yard hole is surrounded by a raucous, fully enclosed stadium packed with over 20,000 fans. The atmosphere feels more like a college football game than a traditional golf tournament—cheers, chants, and plenty of liquid confidence fill the air. When a player steps onto the tee box, they’re met with an electric buzz of excitement.

Now imagine Scottie Scheffler, golf’s #1 ranked player, stepping up to the tee. Instead of consulting his caddie, Ted Scott, for guidance, he turns to the crowd—letting their energy and admiration dictate his shot selection. Who is he going to listen to? Who has the final say? Who strategically helps him navigate the best decision and carries the weight?

That is obviously a ridiculous example that would never happen, but just like Scottie Scheffler, leaders—and all of us—must choose which voices to listen to. Both encouragement and direction are necessary, but only one should carry the weight of decision-making. Leaders must be intentional about who directs them while still valuing the voices that inspire them. But here’s the key: Encouragement should be abundant while direction must be selective.

Voices of Encouragement

The fans in the gallery serve a purpose. They build confidence. They remind Scottie that he's talented and capable.

In life, these voices might be a spouse, a podcast, an influencer, and social media figure, a friend group, or even an encouraging comment from someone you barely know. They keep you going when self-doubt creeps in. The truth is, we need as many of these voices as possible. There’s no limit to encouragement. But when too many of these voices slip into voices of direction, you risk feeling pulled in too many directions, trying to please everyone.

Voices of Direction

But encouragement alone isn’t enough when it’s time to make strategic life and career decisions (Especially if you are leading others in business and life). Scottie Scheffler doesn’t take shot selection advice from the fans, his parents, or even his best friends. He listens to Ted Scott because Ted’s job isn’t to solely hype him up—it’s to guide him with strategy, precision, and direction. Ted is also available and reachable with a phone call. (I would stay away from podcasters, big name pastors, celebrities, or influencers here because they don't know you.)

In leadership and life, these voices are far fewer. In fact, I’d argue that this voice should be singular. It’s the coach, the trusted advisor, the mentor—the voice that brings clarity when everything else is noise. You can’t afford to have too many, or you’ll be overwhelmed. This person ultimately carries the weight of the decision with you, and they know you.

The Balance

By the way, I wish I had gotten this one sooner as I am prone to wanting lots of both voices to cover all my bases. The problem is that I then walk away with more people to "please" or a longer "you need to do this" list than I could have imagined. This concept clicked when I began to coach CEOs, Founders, Owners, and Entrepreneurs through a framework Cornerstone Coaching Founder, Steve Graves, created.

If you only have voices of encouragement, you’ll feel great about yourself and think you’re crushing it—but you won't be making any real progress. If you have too many voices of direction, you’ll be paralyzed by conflicting advice. You can't go East and West at the same time. The key is knowing each voice's role and how many of each to have.

• Unlimited voices of encouragement to keep you moving forward.

• A select one or two voices of direction to ensure you're making the right moves—people who carry the weight with you.

Scottie Scheffler thrives because he knows the difference. He has Ted Scott for strategic, high-impact decisions that move the needle, and he has a crowd of thousands reminding him how great he is. He listens to both—but he knows which voice carries the weight.

So should you.

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