How do I know what I know in Cannabis?

I get this question quite a bit, both from the people I mentor, community members and some my clients.

Much of my ‘nuts & bolts’ skill comes from my MBA in Finance, non-cannabis industry experience (banking, tech and pharma) and brand management stints at places like P&G. 

While important, this level of knowledge is insufficient to run a large cannabis company or advise on mission critical, high-risk decisions.  Similarly, knowing how to grow quality weed or being a product connoisseur would also be insufficient for the task.

I lean heavily on other disciplines, profiles and stories to garner what’s really needed in cannabis, namely strategic wisdom and a deep understanding of people, culture and systems. 

Here are some of the inspiring and brilliant people I study and invoke in my day-to-day work:

Portraits in Leadership – The Generals and Politicians

> Grit & Toughness – Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher

> Big Strategy & Operations – Napoleon Bonaparte, Alexander the Great

> Diplomacy & Managing Stakeholders – Dwight  Eisenhower, Klemens von Metternich

> Tactical Improvisation – Matthew Ridgeway, Ariel Sharon

> The Vision Thing – Nelson Mandela, Shimon Peres

> Communicating – Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill (he is so good he warrants two mentions on my list)

Understanding the Human Condition i.e. what makes people tick

Read acclaimed authors like Honoré de Balzac, Fyodor Dostoevsky and William Shakespeare plus all the Greek and Roman Classics

'Learning to Lead' is not a simple exercise and I'm nowhere near done.

Always be curious.  Always be learning. Get to work.

Who inspires you?

#leadership #strategy #learning