Belief, Cohesion, Narrative: the Real Keys to Winning
- PG Geldenhuys
- Sep 16
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 17
Tomorrow, the Ryder Cup begins at Bethpage Black. By the time you read this, I’ll be in New York, sharing lunch with an old friend, an ex-South African who has built a remarkable life in the States and has been incredibly good to us over the years.
The last time we were together, we were huddled in his den in Cleveland, watching the Springboks edge France in that unforgettable 2023 World Cup quarter-final. Now we get to reconnect on the eve of another contest that will set pulses racing: Europe versus the USA, with the odds stacked against the visitors.
I’ll be rooting for the Europeans this weekend, cheering for an unlikely win on foreign soil. I do this with a conflicted mindset: I have many amazing friends in the US, and I love many of the players on their team. But ever since I was a teenager, I felt myself pulled to the Europeans. Like South Africa’s Springboks, they constantly emerge victorious against opponents that are better funded, better organised and have more resources at their disposal. A few charismatic leaders reframed the narrative in the 80s and 90s, and today we are the recipients of a compelling contest. Is it Seve, Jacklin, Nicklaus, Wadkins, Azinger, Faldo? Or is it Pienaar, Mandela, Stransky, Lomu, Fitzpatrick? It’s a Springboks vs the All Blacks story, it’s a Ryder Cup story. And it’s magic. And that’s the magic of both sports: you feel part of a tribe, bound together by a story bigger than yourself.
Europe’s great secret over the past three decades has not just been talent, it’s been cohesion. That, in itself, is the All Blacks story. A settled leadership core, rituals of belonging, and belief forged long before the first tee shot. Where the Americans (South Africans) have resources, individual brilliance and passion, the Europeans (All Blacks) have strategy, cohesion and belief. But in both cases, the last ten years have seen a return to parity. These days, our beloved Springboks have become what we always wanted them to be: Africa’s answer to the Europeans. A team bonded in its diversity and galvanised in its rituals. And a team that BELIEVES.
I wrote about this in Ballesteros to Bradley: Ryder Cups are not won on Sunday putts alone. They’re won in the locker room, in the shaping of identity, in the clarity of the story you choose to tell. Whether it is rugby (Boks to Business) or golf, the playing field is super level now, and any given Sunday (see what I did there) things can shift. It’s going to be wild, bring on the weekend!
Here’s why tomorrow matters, and what it teaches us:
Sport: Rory McIlroy vs Scottie Scheffler. The talisman versus the technician. If Rory can impose himself as leader, Europe has a chance. If Scheffler dictates, America runs away with it.
Movies: Think Braveheart. Terrain matters. Bethpage Black is a battlefield, with its brutal length and roughs designed to favour the Americans. As Sun Tzu warned in The Art of War choose the terrain. The Europeans must somehow flip that script, where every single margin has been set up for the enemy.
Business: Keegan Bradley’s captaincy shows how narrative reframes reality. From “left out” to “chosen leader”, his story shifted, and perception followed. That’s Donald Miller’s StoryBrand at work: clarity of narrative shapes influence.
Overlay this with Covey’s 7 Habits: Europe’s paradigm shift came when they stopped calling themselves underdogs. They became contenders, then champions. Change the lens, and you change the outcome.
PG’s Pro Tip:
Be intentional about the story you are telling. Whether with clients, investors, or your team, the frame you choose determines the fight you fight.
Here’s how to apply that this week:
Name your battlefield: every project has terrain - markets, timing, regulations. Define the ground before you step onto it.
Shift your paradigm: ask yourself, “What story am I telling about this challenge?” Flip it from impossible to inevitable.
Guide, don’t just perform: like the European captains, don’t cast yourself as the hero. Position yourself as the guide who enables your clients or team to succeed.
ChatGPT Prompt to Try: “Help me reframe my current project as a compelling story. Identify the terrain I’m operating on, the paradigm I need to shift, and how to position myself as the guide for my team or clients.”
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