Humanity of Leadership

“Our mission statement about treating people with respect and dignity is not just words but a creed we live by every day. You can't expect your employees to exceed the expectations of your customers if you don't exceed the employees' expectations of management.” ---Howard Schultz

This week I received an advance copy of our CEO Howard Schultz new book “Onward” How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul  that will be available later this month. It is a must read for anyone wanting to learn both the hard talents of leading an organization through a transformation and the soft skills of holding true to company values and mission,  when faced with mounting tribulations. It is the journey of a company infused with clarity and emotion, culture and a strong desire to be a company with a social conscience.  It is a story of Starbucks. 

Having joined Starbucks on the Executive leadership team in 2008, having the honor and privilege of living through this last three years and it has been an experience unlike any I have had in my professional lifetime.  

This morning our company turned 40 years old. The leadership team had the privilege of going to the first Starbucks store in Seattle’s Pike Place Market (est. 1971) and talking to partners and media about what this means for the company. We finished this morning by a live-broadcast to New York City, where Starbucks rang the virtual opening bell to begin the trading on NASDAQ. It was truly an honor for our company, our partners, and our customers and for me. 

As I reflect on these last few years, there are many lessons learned and refined. The teachings are around business leadership, handling extreme adversity, global economics and being an active part of team and not just a passive member of one. There were no bystanders on the three year journey. 

The most important teachings were around the reinforcement on how to make the right decisions for countless thousands of people and their families that work hard every day and count on you and the leadership you provide. I am confident, having witnessed and been an active member of the leadership team here, that late at night in the conference rooms, with the lights turning off and the night crew cleaning the offices, and a strong amount of pressures all around us, with adversity and trials paramount, that the team made the right decisions by our values and our mission, if not always the easy ones. 

The path of a business transformation or turnaround is fraught with peril. There are many influences that weigh in on a company and a leader, regardless of what area of the business you lead. There are times when difficult decisions need to be made that modify the overall business direction and more importantly at times, impact people’s lives directly. This should never be underestimated and as a leader, to never forget that we are chartered with ensuring that the lives and souls of the people we are privileged to lead every day are not lost in the maelstrom of business.

There is one lesson that has held true for our team here and for myself and that is one of the most important characteristics of  a leader, it is the Humanity of Leadership.  This is how one ensures that every decision, every large scale change is embodied with humanity and a conscience. This humanity of leadership is not a written policy. It is not something they train you to do in business school. It is not something you get readily from reading a book. It is something inside. It is something that transcends your position, your company, and your job. It is the very essence of ones humanity that needs to be front and center when in a position of leadership, especially when the decisions of the leader can impact others. 

In time, the historians and business stewards will evaluate this company over the last few years and over the last 40. They will cheer the successes and they will critique the challenges. Time will pass and the story will be set about what was done here. I believe as Howard has said, that our best days as a company are ahead of us.  We all feel that viscerally and it is almost tangible in many ways here at the company in all we do.

For our partners (employees), we could not have done this without the daily hard work by so many of you every day in so many parts of the world. It is only by your hard work and grace do we have our organization. We are humbled by your dedication and inspired by your fortitude. Thank you.

In the end, I know one thing to be true. That each of the leaders and partners whom were a part of journey of the last three years did their best to preserve our values, guide us through adversity and with a passion and humility, made the very best decisions for our company, our partners and our customers.

And they did so with Humanity.

Stephen Gillett