Leadership Profile on Starbucks
Abstract
This paper will address the primary embedded mechanisms that leaders build within the organization. These mechanisms will be assessed in regards to the Starbucks company and its founder, Howard Schultz. It is the leadership style of Schultz that has a hand in shaping the culture of the organization.
Leader Profile Due to this author’s love of Starbucks Chi-Tea Latte’s, and the whole “Starbucks Experience”, an interest developed in the organization and the leadership skills of Howard Schultz. During a time of crisis, Schultz implemented a drastic move that would cost the company several million dollars in sales and labor charges. As drastic as this move was, it rebuilt an organization whose rapid growth became carcinogenic and elicited the re-engagement of its original founder as we know it. By addressing the primary embedding mechanisms presented by Schein (2010,) it is easy to see the effective leadership skills employed by Schultz in the Starbucks organization.
Primary Embedding Mechanisms In considering the tools utilized by leaders to embed the assumptions they hold, one can see how these assumptions can create the conditions for culture formation and evolution (Schein, 2010). Schein listed six primary embedding mechanisms available to leaders which include: what leaders pay attention to, measure, and control on a regular basis; how leaders react to critical incidents and organization crisis; how leaders allocate resources: deliberate role modeling, teaching and coaching; how leaders allocate rewards and status; and how leaders recruit, select, promote (Schein, 2010). These assumptions can be seen in the leadership style of Schultz.
What leaders pay attention to, measure, and control on a regular basis. Schultz is a very hands on leader. In his book Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul (2011), he demonstrates his leadership abilities and the trial and tribulations Starbucks went through after he
This paper will address the primary embedded mechanisms that leaders build within the organization. These mechanisms will be assessed in regards to the Starbucks company and its founder, Howard Schultz. It is the leadership style of Schultz that has a hand in shaping the culture of the organization.
Leader Profile Due to this author’s love of Starbucks Chi-Tea Latte’s, and the whole “Starbucks Experience”, an interest developed in the organization and the leadership skills of Howard Schultz. During a time of crisis, Schultz implemented a drastic move that would cost the company several million dollars in sales and labor charges. As drastic as this move was, it rebuilt an organization whose rapid growth became carcinogenic and elicited the re-engagement of its original founder as we know it. By addressing the primary embedding mechanisms presented by Schein (2010,) it is easy to see the effective leadership skills employed by Schultz in the Starbucks organization.
Primary Embedding Mechanisms In considering the tools utilized by leaders to embed the assumptions they hold, one can see how these assumptions can create the conditions for culture formation and evolution (Schein, 2010). Schein listed six primary embedding mechanisms available to leaders which include: what leaders pay attention to, measure, and control on a regular basis; how leaders react to critical incidents and organization crisis; how leaders allocate resources: deliberate role modeling, teaching and coaching; how leaders allocate rewards and status; and how leaders recruit, select, promote (Schein, 2010). These assumptions can be seen in the leadership style of Schultz.
What leaders pay attention to, measure, and control on a regular basis. Schultz is a very hands on leader. In his book Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul (2011), he demonstrates his leadership abilities and the trial and tribulations Starbucks went through after he
References: Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (4th ed.). San Francisco: Jossey- Bass. Schultz, H. (2011). Onward: How Starbucks fought for its life without losing its soul. New York: Rodale.