It’s laughable that some critics of Tiger Woods’s apology dis him for the tightly controlled press conference, for his brazen opinion of the media, and for refusing to give details about people, events, and conversations.

Tiger is actually tightly true to his core values and beliefs.

Now there’s some controversy about whether Tiger is a Rational (Green) personality type or an Artisan (Orange). Either way, Tiger possesses the characteristics that both personality types have in common.

DOING WHAT WORKS. Both Rationals and Artisans meet their goals with knowledge, tools, and skills that they know simply work - devoid of excessive language and emotion. For the apology, Tiger ripped away all excessive conjecture and unproductive emotional displays and delivered sorrow, a program to make amends, clear positions, and the desire to return to his career.

BEING IN CONTROL. Both Rationals and Artisans naturally take charge of their own projects - whether those projects are a job, a family vacation, a sport, their own rehabilitation program, or the own press conference about the rehabilitation program.  Even if Tiger had taken questions from the media, odds are that he would want to see the questions in advance. Neither Rationals nor Artisans want to be caught making mistakes or - worse - get themselves in a pickle for messing up an answer for lack of preparation. Rationals are perfectionists in the use of words, are proud of the knowledge and research behind the work they air publicly, and they loathe looking stupid under any circumstances. Artisans are perfectionists as onstage performers and - although they are better able to recover from mistakes than Rational folks - will want to have been able to be “at the top of their game” with the rehearsals and control necessary to win that game.

WANTING TO WIN. Of all the Types, Rationals and Artisans can be fiercely competitive. Tiger clearly possesses the values and strengths of both Rational and Artisan, doing what is necessary to win - in the smartest and most persistent ways. If you analyze the apology speech, you will see the biggest battles he determined to focus on and win involve the most important people to him, and he addressed them directly - his wife and children, the PGA, his sponsors, his foundation, and his fans who want their role model back.

RAW HONESTY.  Both Rationals and Artisans are often called “rude”, “manipulative”, and “cold” by the other Types because they are naturally unafraid to tell truths. It’s easy to forget that the real strengths behind the negative judgments are, respectively, “courageous”, “utilitarian”, and “honest”. It would be hard to find a politician or sports star who would admit that they had “felt entitled to the pleasures” as Tiger said without additional excuses. How many people have you seen nail the media for its shoddy gossipy nature without sounding like a mere whiner? Not many, for sure.

I could go on. The emotion that Tiger did show in the interview was probably outside the box for him. The entire period that began on Thanksgiving has been an enormous embarrassment to a person who aspires to do absolutely everything well - either through his mind or his body.

In anticipation of counter arguments some of you may have, let me try to answer a few of them. Is everything that Tiger does “to make things work” based on sound moral principles? Probably not always, like most of us. Is Tiger’s need for control going to hurt him once in awhile - and annoy even his best friends? Probably. Will Tiger’s “need to win” hurt a few people because they are getting in the way? You betcha. Is Tiger capable of lying? Well, he certainly has.  However, unless there is some character flaw nobody has picked up on yet, I am as certain as they sun rises every morning that Tiger will in the end win his family back, will win lots of golf tournaments and break most of the records of all golf history, and will win back his reputation as a role model for many generations to come. Tiger Woods - if nothing else - has the mind, body, and full nature of an epochal Rational-Artisan winner. Go Tiger.

TIGER WOODS IS TRUE TO HIS OWN NATURE

It’s laughable that some critics of Tiger Woods’s apology dis him for the tightly controlled press conference, for his brazen opinion of the media, and for refusing to give details about people, events, and conversations.

Tiger is actually tightly true to his core values and beliefs.

Now there’s some controversy about whether Tiger is a Rational personality type or an Artisan. Either way, Tiger possesses the characteristics that both personality types have in common.

DOING WHAT WORKS. Both Rationals and Artisans meet their goals with knowledge, tools, and skills that they know simply work - devoid of excessive language and emotion. For the apology, Tiger ripped away all excessive conjecture and unproductive emotional displays and delivered sorrow, a program to make amends, clear positions, and the desire to return to his career.

BEING IN CONTROL. Both Rationals and Artisans naturally take charge of their own projects - whether those projects are a job, a family vacation, a sport, their own rehabilitation program, or the own press conference about the rehabilitation program.  Even if Tiger had taken questions from the media, odds are that he would want to see the questions in advance. Neither Rationals nor Artisans want to be caught making mistakes or - worse - get themselves in a pickle for messing up an answer for lack of preparation. Rationals are perfectionists in the use of words, are proud of the knowledge and research behind the work they air publicly, and they loathe looking stupid under any circumstances. Artisans are perfectionists as onstage performers and - although they are better able to recover from mistakes than Rational folks - will want to have been able to be “at the top of their game” with the rehearsals and control necessary to win that game.

WANTING TO WIN. Of all the Types, Rationals and Artisans can be fiercely competitive. Tiger clearly possesses the values and strengths of both Rational and Artisan, doing what is necessary to win - in the smartest and most persistent ways. If you analyze the apology speech, you will see the biggest battles he determined to focus on and win involve the most important people to him, and he addressed them directly - his wife and children, the PGA, his sponsors, his foundation, and his fans who want their role model back.

RAW HONESTY.  Both Rationals and Artisans are often called “rude”, “manipulative”, and “cold” by the other Types because they are naturally unafraid to tell truths. It’s easy to forget that the real strengths behind the negative judgments are, respectively, “courageous”, “utilitarian”, and “honest”. It would be hard to find a politician or sports star who would admit that they had “felt entitled to the pleasures” as Tiger said without additional excuses. How many people have you seen nail the media for its shoddy gossipy nature without sounding like a mere whiner? Not many, for sure.

I could go on. The emotion that Tiger did show in the interview was probably outside the box for him. The entire period that began on Thanksgiving has been an enormous embarrassment to a person who aspires to do absolutely everything well - either through his mind or his body.

In anticipation of counter arguments some of you may have, let me try to answer a few of them. Is everything that Tiger does “to make things work” based on sound moral principles? Probably not always, like most of us. Is Tiger’s need for control going to hurt him once in awhile - and annoy even his best friends? Probably. Will Tiger’s “need to win” hurt a few people because they are getting in the way? You betcha. Is Tiger capable of lying? Well, he certainly has.  However, unless there is some character flaw nobody has picked up on yet, I am as certain as they sun rises every morning that Tiger will in the end win his family back, will win lots of golf tournaments and break most of the records of all golf history, and will win back his reputation as a role model for many generations to come. Tiger Woods - if nothing else - has the mind, body, and full nature of an epochal Rational-Artisan winner. Go Tiger.

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Watching Sonia Sotomayor this week — even through the curtain of a traditional Senate hearing — I believe we were witnessing a Gold-Green at the peak of healthy Goldness. The first clue seemed to be the verbal slow pace, extreme comfort with processing and re-processing all ideas regardless of their importance or inanity. She seemed to be firmly in control of the room, the camera, and even the outcome by being very well prepared and practiced. Being called a bully in the workplace might be translated more kindly as being a real boss — demanding respect, completed work, total focus, i.e., she has little or no tolerance for lack of discipline and probably does not welcome lightheartedness unless it is well deserved or she engages in it herself. I had wondered if she might be Green early on, but her long legal track record does not appear to reflect a Green’s ongoing inventiveness or desire to make differences.

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