Howard Schultz: Quotes Showing Leadership Styles & Personality

In a 2009 interview with CBS, Schultz said of Starbucks' mission, "We're not in the business of filling bellies, we're in the business of filling souls."

(On inculcating culture)

“Whether you are the CEO or a lower level employee, the single most important thing you do at work each day is communicate your values to others”.

(creating the Starbucks culture)

“There is a word that comes to my mind when I think about our company and our people. That word is ‘love’. I love Starbucks because everything we’ve tried to do is steeped in humanity”

(actively and purposely creating a brand and company narrative that he felt would attract customers)

“We take something ordinary and infuse it with emotion and meaning, and then we tell its story over and over and over again, often without saying a word”

(Early on, making Starbucks' mission his own.)

"I saw something. Not only the romance of coffee, but ... a sense of community. And the connection that people had to coffee—the place and one another. And after a week in Italy, I was so convinced with such unbridled enthusiasm that I couldn't wait to get back to Seattle to talk about the fact that I had seen the future."

The above quotes by Schultz all point towards him having loads of enthusiasm, as well as a charismatic leadership style, where he infuses eagerness into all his employees to work. This might also be used as a Power tactic of inspirational appeal, bring up employees' commitment through stirring enthusiasm. He also emphasises the importance of having consistent behaviour with company values and culture.
 

(describing the feeling of “the Starbucks Experience ")

“the Starbucks Experience [based on] personal connection – is an affordable necessity. We are all hungry for community". The importance is built around connecting with others and reconnecting with oneself

Here, Schultz displays a people-oriented side of him, and believing in the importance of developing esprit de corps.

(In response to a shareholder complained that Starbucks had lost sales due its support for gay marriage)

"Not every decision is an economic decision. Despite the fact that you recite statistics that are narrow in time, we did provide a 38 percent shareholder return over the last year. I don't know how many things you invest in, but I would suspect not many things, companies, products, investments have returned 38 percent over the last 12 months.

Having said that, it is not an economic decision to me. The lens in which we are making that decision is through the lens of our people. We employ over 200,000 people in this company, and we want to embrace diversity. Of all kinds."

"If you feel, respectfully, that you can get a higher return than the 38 percent you got last year, it's a free country. You can sell your shares in Starbucks and buy shares in another company. Thank you very much."

This shows him in action taking the managerial role of a negotiator, disturbance handler, and resolving conflicts. He is firm and bold in taking a stand against the shareholder, showing that he is very deeply rooted in his beliefs. though it may displease the shareholder, all his employees will respect him for standing up for the company.


Not only are there quotes from Schultz that reveal aspects about himself, there are also quotes from others who worked with him, such as co-founder Zev Siegl. He recounts:

"My impression of Howard at that time was that he was a fabulous communicator. One to one, he still is."
Being a good communicator is an important trait for any leader in leading people.