Chicago -
Warren Winiarski knew a few things about leadership. The founder and winemaker at the historic Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars passed away last month. His 1973 Cabernet Sauvignon shocked the wine world by winning the 1976 Judgment of Paris.
His protege Steve Matthiasson was reflecting on Winiarski’s remarkable legacy on SommTV recently. It seems Warren was a demanding perfectionist. After a vine-pruning session that did not meet his standards and expectations, Winiarski told Matthiasson that he did not adequately train the pruning team.
Matthiasson recalled that in his elliptical, Yoda-like fashion, Winiarski said, “You told them that it was an island but you neglected to inform them that the island was surrounded by water.”
Yes, don’t make assumptions as a leader. Don’t take anything for granted in your communication. Don’t take a Stag’s Leap of faith. Can we assume that everyone knows islands are surrounded by water? Maybe. Maybe not.
Concern about simply assuming what people know is especially true in technical operating environments where precision can really matter. So, sure, tell people things they probably already know in initial training just to get it out there and create a level playing field of shared knowledge.
After that, however, you risk telling smart people that, metaphorically speaking, islands are surrounded by water. You risk insulting their intelligence and being accused of micromanaging, which as repeated behaviors will have their own negative consequences. As with most things in leadership, it’s a balancing act in which context and judgment really matter.
