The Sommelier’s Sage Advice

I should probably start with a confession.

I’ve never been much of a wine connoisseur. It’s simply not something I would ever choose to drink.

But I love a good vineyard.

There’s something about the rows of vines. The patience of the place. The quiet sense that something important is happening — even when nothing appears to be happening.

Twice each year, our team hosts a leadership conference at a beautiful vineyard in Raleigh, North Carolina. One of our sessions focuses on Situational Awareness — Leading in Context, and the setting itself becomes part of the lesson.

During a recent visit, our friend Dave, the sommelier who leads our tour, shared a line that caught everyone’s attention.

“You can’t chase a trend.”

And in winemaking, that’s not philosophy. It’s math.

A vine takes three years before it produces its first usable grapes. Often five years or more before the vineyard produces the fruit winemakers really want. Then the wine itself might rest another year — or several — before it ever reaches a bottle.

By the time that bottle hits the market, the trend that existed when the vine was planted has already changed.

Which is why winemakers don’t chase trends.

They decide what they want to grow — and then they cultivate it.

And that’s the leadership lesson.

Trends reward reaction.
Cultures reward cultivation.

Education systems chase pedagogical trends.
Corporations chase management trends.
Athletic programs chase recruiting trends.

But great organizations — like great vineyards — decide what they intend to grow and then cultivate it patiently.

Because leaders are Culture Architects.

They design the environment.
They shape the habits.
They determine what gets rewarded and what gets tolerated.

And over time, that culture produces fruit.

Walking the vineyard reminded us how this works.

Environment

Every vineyard begins with the environment.

Soil.
Sunlight.
Slope of the land.
Climate.

The winemaker can’t change those things — but must understand them deeply.

Leaders face the same challenge. Every organization operates within constraints. Great leaders study the environment and build cultures capable of thriving within it.

Growth Cycle

Vineyards move through rhythms.

Planting.
Dormancy.
Bud break.
Harvest.

Each stage demands something different from the vinedresser.

Organizations have rhythms too. Wise leaders learn when to push, when to develop, and when to pause.

Leadership isn’t just direction.

It’s timing.

Root Systems

Healthy fruit begins underground.

Strong roots create resilient vines.

Organizations are no different. Mission clarity. Shared values. Trust between teammates. Standards that mean something.

These are the roots.

Ignore them, and eventually the fruit weakens.

Canopy Management

Left alone, vines grow aggressively.

Lots of leaves. Very little fruit.

So the vinedresser prunes.

Cuts back healthy growth so the plant can focus its energy where it matters.

Leaders must do the same.

Not every initiative deserves oxygen.
Not every opportunity deserves pursuit.

Sometimes leadership looks less like adding — and more like removing.

Nourishment

Vines need the right balance of nourishment.

Sunlight.
Water.
Airflow.

Too little and the vine weakens. Too much and the fruit dilutes.

Teams require nourishment too: engagement, experiences, feedback, accountability.

Culture Architects constantly ask:

What is strengthening our people?
What is draining them?

Because nourishment shapes the harvest.

And that brings us back to Dave’s observation.

You can’t chase a trend.

Trend-chasing turns leadership into a treadmill.

Always reacting.
Always adjusting.
Always trying to catch up.

But the target keeps moving.

Soon the organization is exhausted — running hard but getting nowhere.

The vineyard offers a better model.

Decide what you want to grow.
Plant intentionally.
Cultivate patiently.

Because trends move fast.

Cultivation moves slow.

And only one of them produces fruit.

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The Sommelier’s Sage Advice was originally published in Horizon Performance on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.