“This team’s not ready to follow you yet because you don’t hear their voices. You only hear yours.” Feels like a quote from a coach out of a Hollywood movie, but this is what Mike Whan remembered from a high school football coach. This has been his guiding mantra ever since. And honestly? It’s probably the most unconventional leadership advice you’ll ever hear in professional sports.

Whan is widely regarded as the most transformative LPGA commissioner in history. During his 11-year tenure, he revolutionized women’s golf by increasing the number of tournaments from 24 to 34, growing prize purses from $41.4 million to $76.5 million, and expanding television coverage from 125 hours to over 500 hours per season. His success earned him the USGA CEO position in 2021.

Fast forward to today, and Whan shared this exact philosophy on Golf Channel as his direct message to Craig Kessler, who takes over as LPGA commissioner on July 15, 2025. The timing couldn’t be more critical. Kessler faces significant challenges, including recent tournament cancellations and issues with broadcasting payments. Everyone expects him to come in swinging with immediate changes. But Whan’s message? Do the complete opposite of what every business school teaches.

Most new executives hit the ground running with bold decisions. They want to prove their worth immediately. But during his Golf Channel appearance, Whan made it clear that Kessler should take a completely different approach, just like he did when he started in January 2010.

Whan told the Golf Channel audience that he forced himself to keep his mouth closed and his ears open during his crucial first 100 days. Everyone wanted answers from the new commissioner. People asked him about funding decisions and strategic directions constantly. “You’re new and you really want to provide that direction,” Whan explained to viewers while addressing Kessler’s upcoming challenge. “But you’re really not capable of quality direction just yet. Until you hear the voices.”

This message to Kessler comes with serious credentials behind it. Whan’s patient listening approach transformed the LPGA from 24 tournaments and $41.4 million in purses to 34 events worth $76.5 million by 2021. Meanwhile, television coverage exploded from 125 hours to over 500 hours annually. The listening strategy worked because he gathered perspectives from players, sponsors, former players, and media partners. “I was proud of that,” Whan said on Golf Channel. “When we got started down a new direction, I wanted some of that direction to be their voice, not just my voice.”

The Golf Channel segment revealed that Whan has already had personal conversations with Kessler about the unique challenges ahead. Both men have young children and wives who are concerned about their extensive travel schedules. “That’s a balance that will… you’ll fight that balance your whole career,” Whan told him directly.

Mike Whan’s Secret: How LPGA Stars Bought Into Change

During the same Golf Channel appearance, Whan shared another crucial message for Kessler about understanding LPGA players. He discovered something unique about these women during his tenure that separates them from other professional sports. “These women realized they’re here because women before them probably played for a lot less money on a lot lesser golf courses and a lot less TV coverage,” Whan explained on the show. “But they did it so that their daughters would have a better opportunity.”

This generational mindset became Whan’s secret weapon for implementing changes—a lesson he’s now passing directly to Kessler. Players didn’t want to excel for him. Instead, they wanted to succeed for the next generation of women’s golf. “Every woman on that range and every woman who’s playing right now feels a little sense of responsibility to make sure her daughters have an easier path,” Whan told Golf Channel viewers.

When players asked how they could help, Whan gave them specific assignments. They completed these tasks and reported back on a regular basis. This created an army of advocates working toward shared goals. “Once I realized that I had an army helping… I just got to stand at the podium and take credit for a lot of their work,” Whan admitted with characteristic honesty during the segment.

The excitement around Kessler’s appointment is already noticeable. Whan walked down the practice range Tuesday and felt the buzz. “There’s a real excitement, and I’m excited for him that it already exists,” he observed.

Whan’s final message to Kessler on Golf Channel was clear: listen first, lead second. The former LPGA commissioner, who once turned around the tour, believes his proven blueprint can work again. Now it’s Kessler’s turn to put those voices before his own.