Inspirational Leadership in Napa

A few years ago, my wife and I, along with some great friends from the Seattle area, took a trip to Napa, California for a weekend of wine tasting and fine dining. We were blessed to have won an auction lot the year before.

It is always interesting that even during a fun-filled weekend in the Napa Valley, leadership lessons can arise and inspire me. We were lucky enough to stay at a private estate, Estate 8, which is on a property owned by a winery called One Hope.

It’s a beautiful property. Our main contact during our group’s stay was the Estate and Operations Manager, Daniel Gora. Daniel was a young man in his twenties who recently took the role at the estate. His duties include overseeing the day-to-day activities of the estate, making sure guests are well fed, have plenty of good wine and generally pampered during their stay. His oversight is a lot of responsibility for a young person.

Upon arrival at the estate, we were greeted by Daniel offering glasses of a great Fume’ Blanc wine. An enjoyable way to start the weekend, no doubt. What struck me about Daniel was his sincerity. He didn’t just pretend to be happy to see us, he really was excited about our presence and wanted to ensure our first impressions of him and the estate were excellent. They were.

We were made to feel welcome from the outset. Sincerity is one of the basic tenants of leadership. You must be sincere with clients and staff -- warts and all. People can spot a phony a mile away. Daniel, however, was authentic in his delight, giving us a tour of the estate and bolstering our confidence that we could count on him to take care of us during our weekend stay.

What also struck me was that upon receiving our room keys, Daniel pitched in to help carry our bags to the room. There are no traditional bellhops at the estate. It is a two-story structure and we had to go up a flight of stairs to get to our second-floor room. Luckily, my wife and I, though in our sixties, can still traverse a staircase, luggage and all, without help. Daniel, however, insisted on assisting other people with their gear. I doubt that this is in his job description, but he gladly and cheerfully helped. This behavior displayed another prime leadership trait – no job was beneath him. He was the estate Operations Manager and dealt with many moving parts daily. But toting bags upstairs for guests was a leadership quality of unselfish service. Leaders provide help and support and don’t hesitate to get in the weeds when needed.

On Saturday morning, Daniel cooked a wonderful breakfast for all of the estate guests. Eggs, bacon to die for, mimosas – the whole works were on the menu. In addition, prior to making breakfast, Daniel went to a local bakery to buy English muffins – which happen to be Oprah Winfrey’s favorites. I normally don’t eat these at home, but I have to admit, they were spectacular. When we arrived for breakfast, Daniel was in full prep. The coffee pots were full, and we wanted for nothing. Remember, Daniel was performing several other tasks as he shuttled food and beverages to the table, not only for our group but for other guests who were at the estate that weekend.

At one point, another estate worker assisted Daniel. But somewhere in the process, after breakfast, my wife overheard a conversation between Daniel and the other worker. She informed him that she had another obligation to deal with and was promptly told to keep her appointment. Daniel assured her that he would take care of everything. The place was a mess of plates, glasses and food following breakfast service, which would have been difficult enough for two people, let alone one. Nevertheless, Daniel, sensing his colleague's urgency, didn’t pull rank. He understood the importance of her engagement and managed the cleanup himself. Leaders, true leaders, are devotees of “servant leadership.” Each task is a team effort and an exercise in collaboration. Solid leadership is about thinking of your troops first and your own concerns second. This young man continually displayed the selflessness of leadership.

I thought about Daniel on our trip home and the leadership traits I observed during our stay at the estate. I’m assuming Daniel had no military experience or formal leadership training, but he displayed the traits I look for in a leadership position, beginning with how to treat people -- at all levels. Oh, to have more leaders in business and government like him. Well done, Daniel, keep up the good work. Pure leadership extends beyond the boardroom.