The Angel’s Share: What Leaders Must Let Go to Find Clarity
In whiskey-making, there’s a beautiful and costly reality called the angel’s share.
As whiskey...
A Season Few Expected
During the pandemic years, whiskey thrived.
People rediscovered ritual, connection, and craft. Prices climbed, new distilleries emerged, and whiskey became the drink of the moment.
But whiskey moves slower than the world around it, by design.
Those barrels filled in good times are coming due in a very different season.
According to Whisky Advocate and Newsweek, U.S. whiskey production has fallen sharply since 2019 as distilleries, both long-standing and brand-new, face rising costs, softer demand, and an oversupply of aging inventory.
It isn’t failure. It’s the natural tension between what was built and what the world now needs.
And leaders everywhere are feeling the same pressure.
The Leader’s Parallel
Every organization has its own “barrels” - plans, teams, strategies, dreams - all created with confidence in a specific season.
But then the world changes: markets tighten, budgets shrink, people shift priorities.
The question isn’t if those seasons will change, but how we posture ourselves when they do.
Because leadership, like whiskey-making, isn’t about controlling the seasons.
It’s about learning to work with them.
The swings in temperature, the fluctuations in environment are what give whiskey its depth and distinction.
In the same way, the unpredictable seasons of leadership reveal our depth, our values, and what truly matters.
From Reaction to Refinement
When plans collide with new realities, the instinct is to react, to fix, to force, to scramble.
But great leadership comes from reflection, not reaction.
If this moment feels uncertain, remember three things:
1️⃣ Revisit what’s still true.
Your mission and purpose likely haven’t changed. Return to them, not to cling to the past, but to clarify what’s still worth carrying forward.
2️⃣ Redefine growth.
Not every season is about expansion. Sometimes growth looks like stability, clarity, or deeper alignment.
3️⃣ Refine your posture.
You may not need a new plan. You may just need a new stance.
How you show up matters more than what you control.
Just as the whiskey doesn’t resist the seasons, leaders can learn to let change do its refining work.
What This Means for You
If the good years have run dry, it doesn’t mean the work was wasted.
The barrel is still good.
The seasons are still shaping what’s inside.
This is a time to rediscover what’s true about your leadership and what you’re truly built for.
Listen to the Episode
“When the Good Years Run Dry: Leading with Clarity When Everything Changes.”
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