Greatness is in the vision
I love great brands.
It’s no small feat to develop a strong national brand that demands respect. Years of careful attention build to a momentum that is hard to surpass. I’d like to take the time to showcase a few of my favorite brands here in Leadership Matters.
Great brands thrive because of solid leadership, long-term vision, and short-term execution.
So that will be the pattern for these editions.
Who is involved in the leadership, what is the vision they are chasing, how do they maintain their status, and how can small business emulate these powerhouses?
The first of these brands is Augusta National Golf Club & The Masters.
A few weeks ago, the world’s best golfers gathered at what many consider the pinnacle of the sport—The Masters.
It’s not the most popular or the flashiest. But its reputation, built over decades, is unmatched. Why? Because Augusta National plays a long game—and executes with precision in the short term.
That’s a formula every CEO should understand. You may not run a global tournament, but the principles that make Augusta shine are the same ones that will elevate your business.
The Brand
Context
If you aren’t familiar with golf culture, here’s a quick primer.
Each year, the Professional Golf Association (PGA) hosts between 35 and 50 tournaments. Players compete for cash, ranking points, benefits, and prestige across several formats. There are 18+ standard events with full fields, 8 signature events with higher purses and broader coverage, and 3 invitationals that honor legendary players. Add to that a mix of smaller, less frequent events and the 4 majors—tournaments known for world-class courses and the toughest fields.
Each event carries a distinct vibe, but all follow the same rules, enforced by the United States Golf Association (USGA).
The Masters
Among these events, The Masters stands alone. It’s the most exclusive tournament of the year and kicks off the regular season for many fans. A full week of activity fills headlines, starting with practice rounds and media coverage.
Wednesday is a fan favorite—a springtime tradition where players bring family members for the Par 3 contest. Some of the tournament’s most memorable moments come not from professionals, but from their children sinking putts or showing surprising skill.
The Masters also invites golf’s most promising amateurs to compete alongside pros. These young players are treated with reverence, housed on-site, and given a rare shot at a major—an opportunity few athletes ever get.
To open the tournament, three legends of the game strike ceremonial tee shots—a tradition that connects past greatness to present ambition.
The Course
Augusta National is famous for both its beauty and difficulty. Once a nursery, the course names each hole after the trees and shrubs that define it. Holes 11, 12, and 13 form the legendary Amen Corner—a stretch where tournaments are often won or lost.
Winners receive a lifetime invitation to play Augusta as a guest, plus annual invites to return to the Masters. The prize package includes more than $20 million in cash, a green jacket, a trophy, a champion’s locker, and the honor of hosting the next Champions Dinner—where they design the menu for golf’s elite.
But it’s not just the beauty of the course that captivates. Behind the scenes, The Masters is also a business—one that’s remarkably disciplined in how it protects and projects its brand.
The Business
Behind the scenes, The Masters brand is meticulously managed. An internal creative team works with top-tier agencies, a digital experience partner, and elite merchandise collaborators. The brand philosophy leans hard into minimalism and exclusivity.
Partnerships are few and powerful—Rolex, IBM, Peter Millar, Mercedes-Benz.
Interestingly, The Masters doesn’t rely on broadcast deals for revenue the way most major sporting events do.
Television brings in just $25 million
Merchandise - $70 million.
Ticket sales - $39 million.
Concessions - $8 million.
In just one week.
Official Masters gear is only sold on site. Anything in Augusta Green (Pantone 342C) becomes instantly collectible. Limited-edition items—like hats, tags, and garden gnomes—signal pride of attendance and can’t be bought anywhere else.
Search “Masters Tournament Brand” and you’ll find designers raving about the look and feel. The identity is clean, cohesive, and unmistakable. When you see it, you know.
The Masters isn’t just in a different league within golf—it’s in a different league among global events.
So, why does it all work?
We won’t unpack every detail behind The Masters’ prestige. But we can explore how it sustains world-class status year after year—through the lens of long-term vision and short-term execution.
Long-Term Vision
Any business that lasts has a vision. Some businesses operate with explicit visions showcased in lifelike imagery, and some businesses have become accustomed to their vision by years of conditioning.
To be a brand, or leader, of vision takes careful communication of values, goals, and plans. Naturally, innovators that create wonderful products are not always the leader that will take a company to new heights of influence. But often, those innovators dream of that influence when creating their product. Show me an inventor that is solving problems for her industry or community, and I’ll show you someone thinking ahead.
But what about companies that don’t fall into the industry-shaking category? Not all of us will be Apple, Amazon, or OpenAI. Do we still need vision?
Yes. Small- and medium-sized businesses have a need for vision that keeps leaders on task.
The effective leader is constantly pointing to the vision of the company that he wants to be in 10 years. A sample might sound like this:
“We have to turn people away each year because we are known for more than just saving our clients’ money in tax season; we are excruciatingly detailed, we make the process easy, and we always educate and communicate along the way.”
Vision-statements make sure every person knows the WAY we work.
You don’t have to know all the details to have a vision. The details come later.
Vision allows for creativity, making space for the “what-if’s.” You can dream without wasting time, money, and energy if you have a vision. Without vision, trying to tackle your dreams will be disjointed and confusing to employees and customers alike. Additions that fit a vision will be welcomed, not fought.
A vision of the future, or Way to Work, is a state of being and not a plan of action, so healthy leaders will also create a Filter to Focus your efforts with a short-term plan.
Short-Term Execution
Most CEOs that I meet have a bias towards execution. It’s probably what got them the job in the first place. Execution is where the company realizes financial freedom. If you can execute, you’ll be able to balance budgets, build teams, and grow in size.
What’s better than an executing executive? A vision-driven, executing executive.
When a company has a clear vision for more than just maintaining, executing becomes clearer. Not necessarily easier, but certainly clearer.
· The training revolves around the success of the team today building toward tomorrow.
· The focus is on doing the right things, not just more things.
· The morale is high because the team is working towards something larger than themselves.
You know what will also follow? Profits.
Turnover, lack of unity, wasteful projects, and financial mismanagement. These are all profit killers. When a team is aligned around expectations, they can focus on the details of extreme execution.
Execution needs short-term projects that make the long-term vision a reality.
· When you take on expensive plans that have clear ties to the vision, the math makes sense.
· When you invest heavily in infrastructure that establishes the baseline of operations, you reinforce longevity.
· When you curate your materials, your products take on an elevated air.
Successful professionals love to execute, but if you give them a vision to shoot for, their execution will matter even more.
The power of knowing what is expected of me at any given point in my workday creates a loyalty to both the leader and the company you’ll find hard to replace.
So as the leader, you need to know the big picture so thoroughly that it’s kind of annoying to everyone else. Let them make fun; that means you are on to something.
The healthy leader knows where the company is headed and how to get there.
What I just described is a strategy: the mission-vision that gives a company both a purpose and a plan.
The Winning Combination
How do you make this happen in your company and career?
REFLECT
You start by looking inward. The Masters doesn’t lead the golf world by imitating other tournaments but by establish a unique identity and sticking to it. Own your identity to earn a following.
LEARN
Then look ahead. The Masters has some of the newest technology at their disposal, but they curate it to their identity. Never stop looking at what is coming and build a formula for when to capitalize on innovation.
COMMIT
Once you decide, have the confidence to know that you can make it work. Once you’ve started down a path, don’t be concerned with the decision anymore. Make it work or move on.
EXCEL
Determine to be the best. If you want legacy, you can’t afford to be cheap. Whether it’s employee compensation, technological investment, or product design and function, decide to be the best.
The Masters shows us what’s possible when a vision is honored with discipline. Every tradition, every detail, every experience is aligned with purpose. It’s not just good branding, it’s exceptional leadership. I help business owners do the same: clarify their long game, commit to it, and build leadership that will execute with excellence.
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In your corner,
Jonathan
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