LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM THE VINEYARD
Vintage wisdom for modern leadership
Leadership Lessons from the Vineyard uncorks a fresh, jargon-free take on leadership taking inspiration from what it takes to be successful in the world of wine.
Drawing on a career that includes a variety of senior leadership roles across a variety of industries, including the wine industry, and these days as founder of global Leadership Development and Team Effectiveness company Molto Bene, author Serena Varendorff distils complex leadership truths into bite-sized, beautifully illustrated quotes that land with clarity and charm.
This isn’t your typical dry leadership book. It’s a collection of wise insights that share the role patience, intuition, and timing play in effective leadership – with these just as critical for leaders as strategy and structure. Each quote invites you to pause and reflect to take your leadership to the next level.
Whether you're a seasoned executive or at the start of your leadership journey, this little book of wisdom offers big perspective—and even bigger “aha” moments.
“Leadership Lessons from the Vineyard is a clever and enjoyable book, the brevity of which belies its depth and insight. Serena should be congratulated for squeezing so much practical wisdom in this tiny gem of a book.”
— Roger Martin, World’s Number One Management Thinker 2017, Professor Emeritus at Rotman School of Management, author of five books plus over 30 HBR articles, and highly sought after strategy advisor to BHP, Amex, Lego, Proctor & Gamble and more.
WINE INSPIRED WISDOM FOR YOUR WALLS
Transform your workspace into a source of daily inspiration. This collection of 10 beautifully crafted A2 posters features Serena's favourite illustrations paired with powerful leadership insights from the book—designed to elevate any office environment while keeping those crucial "aha" moments front and centre.
Whether displayed in your personal office, conference room, or team space, each poster serves as a gentle daily reminder of the leadership principles that truly matter. Because sometimes the most profound wisdom needs to be seen, not just read.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Serena Varendorff is a leadership development expert, keynote speaker, and founder of Molto Bene—an Australian company that has become the logical choice for organisations like CTM, Rio Tinto, BHP, and Medibank Health Solutions when they want leadership development solutions that create lasting impact.
Her career spans decades of leadership, learning design, and facilitation across industries including wine, academia, and global corporate environments. She’s led teams, developed strategy, lectured at university level, and delivered leadership programs to thousands—always with a refreshingly direct, jargon-free approach.
Before all of that? Serena studied Viticulture, Oenology and Wine Marketing in South Australia’s most iconic wine regions, and worked as a sommelier, buyer, and wine marketer. This unique combination of leadership depth and wine-world insight inspired Leadership Lessons from the Vineyard—a book that pairs elegant wine poster illustrations with memorable leadership truths.
Today, Serena’s work blends clarity, wit, and practical wisdom. Whether she’s designing programs, delivering keynotes, or writing books, her aim is simple: to make leadership make sense—and make it stick.
