What Shakespeare can teach cannabis leaders

 

I begin 2023 on a note of high (pardon the pun) culture.  In addition to his beautiful prose, the Bard can teach us a lot about management and personal growth.  

Clarify hierarchy & roles

“How, in one house, should many people under two commands hold amity? Tis hard; almost impossible” - King Lear

Lear’s daughter is sounding an alarm:  without a clear leadership hierarchy, any house can waver and collapse to the ground. In business, it’s not only crucial to prioritize duties, but also management roles and reporting structures. 

Work with doers not talkers

“It is a tale…full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” - Macbeth

Macbeth is warning us about the dangers of working with big talkers and BSers who can’t deliver results.  Our sector is full of ‘get rich quick’ liars and dreamers.  If you are not careful, working with them will end up kiboshing your plans.   Success in cannabis is about real credentials and results, not empty talk. 

Executing with the right cadence

“Go wisely and slowly. Those who rush, stumble and fall.” - Romeo and Juliet

Running a cannabis business is not for the faint of heart or the chronically disorganized. The most effective leaders are very good at understanding what’s truly important, prioritizing their efforts and managing their time.  They also understand that being too quick, reactive or frantic leads to expensive and aggravating errors.

Brand matters

“The purest treasure mortal times afford is spotless reputation—that away, Men are but gilded loam, or painted clay.” - Richard II

Shakespeare regularly visits the importance of reputation in his works. You're personal and corporate effectiveness is directly correlated with the perception of your work, products and organizational behavior.  A brand takes years to builds and minutes to lose.  Safeguard and enhance it, at all costs.

Failure is part of the journey to success

“If we should fail? We fail. But screw your courage to the sticking place, and we’ll not fail.” — Macbeth

Macbeth is making two important points here. 1) failure is often a necessary part of success; 2) being courageous and persistent and putting forth your best effort will improve your chances of success.  For many in cannabis, grit and learning can be the difference between success and failure.

Always look below the surface

“Fair is foul, foul is fair” - Macbeth

At the beginning of the play, the Witches were foreshadowing to the audience that appearances are often deceptive, and that things are different from what they appear to be. Leaders take note: events, trends and people may seem good or bad, but early impressions must be taken with a grain of salt.  More analysis and critical thinking may be needed to ascertain the true state.

#management #leadership #brand #personaldevelopment #shakespeare