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Leadership lessons from the CEO of Starbucks
21-Oct-2010
Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks was interviewed in the New York Times. Here is our take on some of the key insights he shared:
Start with Core Values.
When you’re starting an organization it is important to establish Core
Values that are going to endure. Marketing, manufacturing - all these
things are important. But more often than not, the head of Human
Resources does not have a seat at the leadership table. Big mistake!
In a sense, you’re building a house, and you can’t add more storeys onto
a house until you have built the foundation to support them.
Build highly functional teams.
I played quarterback and I understand that the guy throwing the ball or
the guy scoring the touchdown only did that because the linemen
protected the quarterback or opened the hole. It is mission critical
for your team to function well together, to support one another, to
trust one another, to have cohesion - and to also have creative tension.
Be vulnerable.
People believe that when they become CEO, they have to know everything,
be in total control, and never show weakness. Actually, one of the
strengths of a great leader is to demonstrate vulnerability, because
that will bring people closer to you. Have open and honest
conversations with your team about the concerns you have, the fears you
have, as well as about the opportunities you see. You have to make sure
you have people around you who will never use that against you, because
you trust them and they trust you.
Be humble.
I grew up on the other side of the tracks, and that gave me tremendous
motivation to succeed. I was insecure about being a poor kid, but with
that came sensitivity for people who didn’t get respect and had low
self-esteem because of that. In the early days of Starbucks, my office
was in the roasting plant. I ended every day by walking the plant floor
and thanking people who were the unsung heroes of the company. I
wasn’t sitting in some ivory tower - I was one of them. I think the
leadership style I have is that I’ve never put myself above anyone else.
Celebrate success.
If you came in to our weekly meeting, you would think, “Man, this
company is in trouble.” It’s because we are incredibly self-critical,
and there are always areas for improvement. But we also find
opportunities to celebrate success. You must find moments where people
are doing things really well and recognize them and support them and
celebrate them, especially in this kind of environment.
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