Many of you may not know of my alternative life as a wine waiter, as the editor for a wine magazine and as the President of The Wharton School wine club.
To be perfectly honest, back at the day every bottle of wine produced or imported to Israel went through me, literally 🍷
Well… leadership lessons come from unexpected places. For me, one of those places has been wine tasting. What might seem like a leisurely hobby has surprising parallels to the way we approach strategic thinking as leaders.
In wine tasting, the process is both deliberate and introspective. You don’t rush to conclusions; instead, you pause, observe, and assess both the wine in the glass and your own instincts, emotions and knowledge. You take in the aroma, examine the color, savor the flavors, and let them reveal their story over time. Good wine has depth, layers, and nuances that only become apparent with patience and focus. But the real secret in tasting wine is that you do not taste the wine in the glass but rather your own internal world’s interaction with the wine.
The same holds true for strategic decision-making. As CEOs, we often face pressure to act quickly. But rushing can obscure the bigger picture. The best decisions come when we step back, take the time to analyze, and let the full context emerge—just like letting a wine breathe.
Want more? Check for balance. In wine, a perfect balance of acidity, flavor, tannins, and alcohol creates harmony. In business, it’s about balancing short-term pressures with long-term goals, data-driven insights with intuition, and operational needs with innovation.
And then there’s the social aspect. Wine is meant to be shared, just as great strategies require collaboration. The best insights often come when we involve our teams, challenge perspectives, and exchange ideas.
Wine tasting has taught me to embrace the process, value patience, and seek balance—not just in the glass but in leadership too.
What unexpected places have you found leadership lessons? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
#CEOJourney #Wine #Leadership
Executive Chef- Gusto Italian
3moFantastic trip 👌