Walk the aisles of any liquor store in the U.S., and brands named after people call for your notice—Johnnie Walker, Jose Cuervo, Captain Morgan, and Jim Beam. The most revered name among them is Jack Daniel. Established in 1875, Jack Daniel’s Whiskey is the oldest distillery in America under the same name. Brand longevity is a testament to leaders with vision and their quest for a long-living organization.
In his groundbreaking book, The Living Company, Royal Dutch/Shell executive Arie de Geus researched 100+ year old companies to learn the shared reasons for their longevity. “Companies die because their managers focus on the economic activity of producing goods and services,” wrote de Geus, “And they forget that their organizations’ true nature is that of a community of humans.” Jack Daniel built a community of dedicated humans.
The Community That Jack Built
George Green and Jack Daniel
Public Domain
Jasper Newton “Jack” Daniel was likely born in September 1846. After his father died in the Civil War, he lived with Reverend Dan Call, a Lutheran minister and grocer who operated a moonshine still behind his general store. At 13, Jack started working in the distillery, learning his trade from Call’s enslaved worker, Nathan “Nearest” Green. When Call’s wife insisted that booze and the Bible did not mix, Call sold the distillery to 16-year-old Daniel, giving him the moniker “The Boy Distiller.” As soon as Jack gained full ownership, he appointed the now-freed Green to be his first master distiller. Nathan’s son George (pictured above) would follow him.
Competition for commercial success was challenging. There were thousands of liquor companies in Tennessee in the 1870s; Jack Daniel’s Whiskey was one of 15 distilleries operating in Moore County alone by the 1880s. To make it more challenging, Tennessee enacted a “Four-Mile Law,” banning alcohol sales within four miles of any chartered rural school. Through Jack’s visionary, humanistic leadership, the company was able to thrive. Here are four ingredients in his leadership recipe.
Jack Cultivated a Tangible Vision
Jack had a clear vision for producing a unique style of whiskey. He was inventive, rather than relying on whiskey-making tradition. He perfected a process that filtered whiskey through a tall vat of sugar maple charcoal before being aged in charred oak barrels. His whiskey bottle was square, and the label’s “Old No. 7” created marketplace intrigue. In 1884, he purchased a limestone cave spring that delivered constant 56-degree iron-free water. Even today, the company’s ads sport language like “a category all its own” and “modern day distilling artistry.”
Vision (aka, mission or purpose) is a must-have for most organizations. Crafting a compelling “why” statement that resonates with its target audience can occupy countless meeting hours and a few consultants. Once done, employees are expected to “stand and salute” the outcome of their work. But when the vision quest fizzles out, many organizations are left with a colorful statement on their break room walls. Vision is a tool for alignment, congruence, and focus. While creating an emotional drum roll is always valuable, visions only work if they provide guidance and direction, helping to separate the trivial from the important, and acting as a quality control and governor on decisions. Bottom line, associates see the vision in the actions of their leaders.
Jack Championed an Obsession for Excellence
“Every day we make it; we’ll make it the best we can” was Jack Daniel’s mantra. “The best” littered his language. He locally sourced the finest grains and took a hands-on approach to whiskey making. His approach to aging zeroed in on quality over speed, claiming to sell whiskey only when it was ready, not according to a prescribed year. In 1904, Daniel boldly entered his whiskey in the St. Louis World’s Fair, returning with a gold medal for the best whiskey. He daily dressed in a white shirt, bowtie, suit jacket, and polished boots that telegraphed a message that quality mattered.
In the product world, the pinnacle of distinction is all about quality. But quality is a subset of excellence. What do Deming, Mozart, Homer, and Michelangelo have in common? They were all reaching for the best achievable in their areas. An obsession for excellence is characterized by clarity about standards, allegiance to discipline, sustained commitment, and a tenacious reach for one’s absolute optimum. Leaders obsessed with excellence do not gauge their performance against a competitor. Excellence is like a magnet that pulls great leaders to their futures.
Jack Insisted on Demonstrated Kindness
Cave Spring at the Distillery
Personal Photo
Daniel was renowned for his Southern hospitality and humor. His ability to connect with others undoubtedly helped him attract the best workers, faithful associates, and enduring customer relationships. But Jack was more than a charming man; he was also a kind man. His goodness, respect for all, and unconditional generosity made him universally trusted. There were thousands of unpaid loan notes found in his possession when he died and his will was clear: not a single debt was to be collected.
The core feature of a brand is trust—a predictability that comes from consistent and reliable value that fosters repeat purchases and positive word-of-mouth. Trust-building was a key feature of Jack Daniel’s leadership, and he achieved it through evident respect for others, fair dealings, and an allegiance to merit. For example, half of his employees were African American at a time when Lynchburg was only 20% black.
Jack Maintained a Focus on Legacy
Jack Daniel Statue
Personal Photo
When Jack’s health began to fail, the always-single Daniel gave everything free and clear to his nephews Lem Motlow and Dick Daniel. It was more than an expression of big-heartedness; it was brand stewardship and a calculated investment in the future. Motlow immediately created plans to expand the brand. He became an ardent adversary of prohibition; a step Jack had not taken. As insurance against the failure of the distillery, he started a backup business that sold water from their spring. Jack Daniel’s Whiskey continues a commitment to the future by supporting military members through their Operation Ride Home program, fostering diversity in the whiskey industry with the Nearest and Jack Advancement Initiative, and many other charities.
Arie de Geus concludes that the key features of long-time thriving companies are these: “They know who they are, understand how they fit into the world, value new ideas and new people, and husband their money in a way that allows them to govern their future. Those personality traits manifest themselves in behaviors designed to renew the company over many generations.” Jack Daniel’s Whiskey is 159 years old. According to a recent issue of The Spirits Business, it is the #2 best-selling whiskey in the world. Jack would be proud.
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