Leadership Analysis on Howard Shultz
It’s not coffee, It’s a way of life
Being a leader seems rather simple by definition. One that is followed by other is a leader. However, the trivial aspects are uncovered when you ask what makes followers follow a leader, how far are they willing to follow them, and does where the leader want to go a reason for the following?
The leader I chose is Howard Shultz, Chairmen and CEO of Starbucks. His book is titled Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul. Shultz describes his vision for what a company should be and how he implemented this vision into Starbucks overtime. His vision is value, and unlike many others in his shoes, is not distracted by profit. As many leaders have something of a crucible at some point early on, Shultz has made very little mention of his early life shaping who he is today as a leader but rather his experience with Starbucks and its transformation overtime. At each barrier throughout his and his organization’s career, he learned how to get around it and, in turn, learned how to lead others around it as well. I do not believe that Howard Shultz was a leader who found a means to lead, I believe that he found a passion and desire so strong that he knew the only way he would ever see his vision is if he led the charge. Although many of the ideas that were used to make Starbucks what it is today came from one man and his vision, without Shultz’s unique style of leadership, it is safe to say Starbucks would no longer exist. What is significant about Shultz and what separates him from many others is the way he conceptualizes the way he thinks things should be. His values and beliefs are concrete and when he related them to the coffee industry, he refused to let even one be sacrificed in the process. The base of what he thought a merchant should be can be seen as one of the many ideas Shultz had that was crucial in the development and monumental growth of Starbucks. He says “That’s what merchants do. We take
Being a leader seems rather simple by definition. One that is followed by other is a leader. However, the trivial aspects are uncovered when you ask what makes followers follow a leader, how far are they willing to follow them, and does where the leader want to go a reason for the following?
The leader I chose is Howard Shultz, Chairmen and CEO of Starbucks. His book is titled Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul. Shultz describes his vision for what a company should be and how he implemented this vision into Starbucks overtime. His vision is value, and unlike many others in his shoes, is not distracted by profit. As many leaders have something of a crucible at some point early on, Shultz has made very little mention of his early life shaping who he is today as a leader but rather his experience with Starbucks and its transformation overtime. At each barrier throughout his and his organization’s career, he learned how to get around it and, in turn, learned how to lead others around it as well. I do not believe that Howard Shultz was a leader who found a means to lead, I believe that he found a passion and desire so strong that he knew the only way he would ever see his vision is if he led the charge. Although many of the ideas that were used to make Starbucks what it is today came from one man and his vision, without Shultz’s unique style of leadership, it is safe to say Starbucks would no longer exist. What is significant about Shultz and what separates him from many others is the way he conceptualizes the way he thinks things should be. His values and beliefs are concrete and when he related them to the coffee industry, he refused to let even one be sacrificed in the process. The base of what he thought a merchant should be can be seen as one of the many ideas Shultz had that was crucial in the development and monumental growth of Starbucks. He says “That’s what merchants do. We take
Cited: Shultz, H. (2011). Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul. Rodale . Thomas, B. a. (2002). Crucibles of leadership. Harvard Business Review , 39-45.