Monday, June 22, 2026
It’s the week after another Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) Summer Event, where its central component was a round of golf.
Once again I’m left to rue the missed fairways and wayward putts that otherwise might have lowered my score. If I’d have kept my left shoulder down and under my chin through the takeaway on the second tee. If I’d have opened the clubface before taking my stance in that bunker. If I’d have kept my shoulders, hips, and feet parallel to the target line before sending that putt the wrong side of the hole. If only.
Luckily, as always, there was more to take from the day at Forest Pines Golf Club in North Lincolnshire than the final tally. As I looked around the clubhouse before setting out under moody skies (we were ultimately lucky with the weather), I considered how there are few activities in modern life that rely on honesty quite like golf. A shotgun start meant all groups of four players would start at the same time, but from different holes on the course; we would submit our own individual and team scores.
Unlike many sports, where referees and officials are responsible for enforcing the rules, golf places much of that obligation on the player. Competitors are expected to call penalties on themselves, accurately record their scores, and accept the consequences of mistakes, even when no one else has seen them. The game depends on an unwritten understanding that integrity matters more than immediate success.
That principle extends beyond the fairway. A golfer’s handicap, the mechanism that allows players of different abilities to compete on equal terms, only works if participants are truthful about their performance. The entire system is built on trust. It is perhaps for this reason that golf has become synonymous with authenticity and sportsmanship. The true measure of a golfer is not simply how well they strike the ball, but how they conduct themselves when nobody is watching.
There is a lesson here for business and industry. Rules, procedures, and standards all have their place, but no system can function effectively without individual integrity. Whether completing an inspection report, conducting a risk assessment, recording test results, or reporting performance data, organisations ultimately depend on people doing the right thing, even when it is inconvenient.
Character counts
Competency is important. Technical knowledge is crucial. But character remains the foundation upon which both are built. The strongest organisations are often those that foster a culture where honesty is valued not because it is monitored, but because it is expected. And it is that expectation, quietly upheld, that separates good organisations from great ones.
Golf, like business, is shaped by mentorship and camaraderie, with experienced amateurs and club professionals helping to encourage and nurture those new to the game. The LEEA Summer Event captured that same spirit, where experience and insight were shared as openly on the greens as they are across the industry. It was good to see familiar faces finding fairways and those newer to the game, like Leanne Whitehurst-Maiden, our national digitalisation manager, finding… trees. Seriously, though, it’s as uplifting to see a novice send the ball whirling towards a flag as it is an apprentice welder strike their first consistent, well-formed weld.
Mark Barnard, our regional operations manager, proved almost as adept as a putting coach as he is an operations manager, offering encouragement and advice that undoubtedly saved a few shots over the course of the day. Meanwhile, Paul Roberts, our senior engineer, demonstrated a similarly impressive eye for detail in his role as an unofficial irons coach, helping players navigate the challenges of the course with patience, good humour, and the occasional well-timed tip. Their willingness to share their experience and support others reflected the spirit of guidance and collaboration that made the event such an enjoyable occasion.
Of course, as we know, golf is a great leveller, and there is a lesson to transfer to all facets of our lives in that, while Leanne is only ever one shot away from the green or the rough, so were the leading pack at last week’s U.S. Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York.
In golf, reputation, experience, and expectation offer no guarantee of outcome on the next shot. Every player, regardless of standing, is required to execute with the same fundamentals, under the same conditions, and with the same acceptance that a single moment can alter the shape of a round. It is a reminder that progress is never linear, and advantage is always temporary.
The same principle applies far away from the fairways of Forest Pines and Shinnecock Hills. In business and industry equally, no matter how established the organisation or experienced the individual, each decision, each action, and each execution carries its own consequence. Success is not preserved by status, but earned repeatedly through consistency, competence, and composure under pressure.
The company you keep
For all the reasons above — and more — one of the first lessons many golfers learn is to choose their playing partners wisely. Not because of their handicap, but because, as we have explored, golf is essentially built on trust. Business is no different. The strongest partnerships are rarely founded on capability alone; they are built on confidence in the character, judgement, and integrity of the people involved. Whether selecting a golfing partner or a supply chain partner, trust remains the foundation upon which everything else depends.
This serves as a segue to Global Lifting Awareness Day (GLAD) on Thursday 2 July. Signposted at #GLAD2026 on social media platforms, the event brings together manufacturers, suppliers, and end users to share content that promotes safe and high-quality load lifting.
Like golf, an awareness day relies on participants respecting the spirit as well as the rules. The hashtag, logo, and promotional activity are important, but they are merely the framework. The real value comes when organisations place the industry’s interests ahead of their own, contributing knowledge and insight not because they have to, but because they believe in the cause. Only then can an awareness day achieve lasting impact rather than becoming another marketing opportunity.
We’re partnering with a number of businesses, and representatives of LEEA, to bring together lifting professionals to explore the latest developments in digitalisation, compliance, and asset management. LEEA’s GLAD tagline, ‘Not all lifting equipment is created equal,’ certainly resonates with these themes. We spend a great deal of time educating customers about the importance of quality equipment, pre-use inspections, and robust quality control processes. However, even the best-designed products can be compromised if they are not used, inspected, and maintained correctly.
That is why awareness must extend beyond equipment alone to encompass the behaviours, systems, and culture that support safe lifting. Building on the momentum of GLAD, we hope to bring together customers and industry stakeholders to explore how digitalisation is improving compliance, strengthening traceability, and helping organisations manage lifting equipment more safely and effectively.
It can be disheartening to hear compliance treated as secondary to cost, but it only reinforces our belief that there is a better way. Like any underdog that succeeds through preparation, discipline, and commitment to fundamentals, we have found that customers increasingly value expertise, integrity, and accountability over scale alone. We have never aspired to be all things to all people; instead, we remain focused on doing one thing well — helping customers manage lifting equipment safely, compliantly, and professionally.
In the end, the fair way to play golf is also the fair way to do business. Both rely on honesty, respect for the rules, and the integrity to make the right decision. The industries and organisations that endure are rarely those that take the shortest route to success; they are the ones that understand that trust, once earned, is the most valuable asset of all.
Steve Hutin
Managing Director
Rope and Sling Specialists Ltd
