Former Starbucks President Howard Behar is one of the world’s leading advocates of servant leadership, but he is the first to tell you it’s not a management style. It’s a lifestyle.
Howard’s journey as a business leader is remarkable. He joined Starbucks when he was in his 40s. When he first met with CEO Howard Schultz, it didn’t feel like a good fit for either of them, but they later reconnected, and a legendary partnership was born.
So how did “this guy who barely made it through high school” (his words) help create one of the most iconic and successful brands in history? Host Mark Wright engages Howard on that question and reveals several of Howard’s keys to success, like tips for hiring and how to coach employees who rub their coworkers the wrong way. Howard also reveals how Starbucks almost killed a $4 billion-dollar product that a district manager invented and shows us his personal mission statement, which he’s looked at every day for more than 50 years.
Howard Behar’s leadership helped grow Starbucks from a couple dozen stores to more than 15,000. He says the secret to its success is not really a secret at all. It’s simply about valuing people. You won’t believe how many handwritten notes he gave to Starbucks employees over the years!
Howard has tried to make work better for everyone over his career. We call that “redeeming work,” and we hope you’ll be inspired by his wisdom and stories to find new ways of serving others at work and in life.
Resources from the episode:
- Learn more about Howard and book him as a keynote speaker at his website.
- His acclaimed book, “It’s Not About the Coffee,” reveals the ten principles and the memorable wisdom that guided his leadership and success (spoiler alert: not one of them is about coffee!). You can read more about it and order it here.
- Visit this site to check out articles, printable handouts, books, and online resources recommended by Howard.
- Connect with Howard Behar on LinkedIn.
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