On wine, teams, and the end of an era.
An attempt of an essay on leadership and its parallels to wine.
Inhale…
Plum. Hibiscus. Forest? Mushrooms?
Inhale again. Yes, mushrooms.
Sip. Sense. Slurp. Swallow.
Still plum. Still hibiscus. Wet rock. No mushrooms.
Deciding to pursue a sommelier certification felt frivolous, pedantic even, for someone whose work had absolutely nothing to do with wine, wine pairing, nor entertaining.
What value could the 150 hours dedicated to this pursuit bring to my career? – people asked.
Probably nothing, was my answer (which honestly, was also part of the appeal).
Yet, I have always understood that growth comes from leaning into the unfamiliar and I tend to believe that purpose derives from “the human psyche continuously asking us to grow, to develop, to explore, to be curious (J. Hollis)”.
And so, I decided I wanted to be curious about one of the things I enjoy doing the most: drinking wine.
At the time, it looked like it would serve no purpose – other than hedonism, that is.
Little did I know that I was wrong.
In drinking and studying wine I have found parallels in learnings from the past 8 years leading teams. Let me share one that stayed with me in recent months.
Terroir is everything. (And in business, especially so.)
Terroir? It’s the fancy french word that means everything around the grape that helps it grow and impacts its expression:
the sun,
the rain,
the ground,
the wind,
the temperature,
and even if it's on hills or flat ground.
Everything around it. Everything.
All possible factors that might impact how grapes grow.
Terroir in business is the culture, the infamous “work-environment”.
And, let’s be honest, the people make the culture. And culture always starts at the top.
Leadership is an action, not a title. It’s what you do or choose not to do.
I won’t go on a culture rant (that’s an essay of its own), but here’s what I’ve learned: People do their best work when trust, open communication, assertive feedback allow the right person to work in the right challenge. If one of these things goes missing, then work becomes unbearable at worst, unmotivating at best. In wines, the wrong vine with too much or too little of something will not thrive.
I used to see my "human" leadership style as a weakness. Now, I realize it is actually my greatest strength. (Afterall, we are all human.)
By understanding people’s motivations and using it to fuel their best work, I aim to inspire teams to collaborate and tackle challenges with passion and creativity. I learned that leadership is not about striving for perfection but embracing the lack thereof as a foundation for creating change and growth.
My “human” mindset has enabled me to turn obstacles into opportunities by connecting the right people to the right purpose. Including myself. Yet, one must also understand that sometimes the “terroir” is not the right one for the vine, and that, try as you may, it will not thrive. Much less, produce extraordinary wine.
And, while feeling like a Pinot Noir (delicate and sensitive), I acknowledged that the actions were not resonating with myself. The terroir was not the right one for me. And it helped me know when to let go.
And in this way, my Era as a Design Manager came to an end, bringing with it so many lessons and learnings I am yet to process and reflect on. In the meantime, these words from an essay by Darren Walker (the president of the Ford Foundation) in the NYT wrap up my current thoughts:
We must acknowledge that the responsibility rests on all of our shoulders, in the ways we lead, in the ways we choose our leaders, and in the ways we allow ourselves to be led.