Heading home after a wonderful couple of days in the Great
Northwest feeling stimulated and content from an engaging visit with the
Starbucks team. Whenever I return from Washington or Oregon there seems to be
this warm and compelling emotion that cool shit is going down up there…like a
secret that the rest of us are just not let in on. It’s rugged, hip and proud
up there. My kinda place.
When one thinks of a truly global brand that is recognizable
both in it’s logo, product and atmosphere… a brand that has succeeded in
demanding a universal standardization for all of its employees to follow in
order to achieve a destination for community and fellowship within it’s walls...
Starbucks has to be in the forefront of any list. In my travels all over the
world there is one thing for certain… when I encounter the ubiquitous Starbucks
store (essentially guaranteed at some point in any journey), the soy chai ice
coffee I order will taste just as delicious in Chengdu, China as it will in
Boulder, CO. You know what you’re
getting both with the coffee as well as the warm coffee bean smell and soft
music that fills the building.
It goes without saying that in order to pull this off there
must be a solid quarterback making the calls for the team. I was aware of
Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz and his creation and guidance of the global icon
over the years. I was only slightly familiar with the fact that he gave up his
role as CEO at the turn of the millennium and coincidentally or not, Starbucks
lost it’s unique character as well as a large portion of it’s share value. I
had heard that he had returned to his role as master executive in mid decade
and the ship had been recently righted. I really knew nothing more than this on
the Starbucks saga and was quite oblivious to the mystique that surrounded its
founder and leader.
Once I arrived in Seattle to provide a keynote to the Supply
Chain team, I was alerted that Howard had requested a meeting with me in his
office with a couple of his trusted leaders. I was honored and thrilled to meet
such a legend of brand development but didn’t really think much about it as I
prepared my keynote and breakout sessions for the team. So I thought it
somewhat comical when, the night before the meeting, my Starbucks host asked me
“Have you thought about what you are going to talk to Howard about tomorrow?” I
chuckled a bit and said no, which prompted a very visible nervous twitch in my
hosts manner as she was the one that set up the meeting and knew her “time with
Howard” reputation would be deeply influenced by the success or failure of this
unknown dirtbag, redneck climber dude and his ability to be engaging with one
of the worlds leading executives. A bit of a roll of the dice for sure.
The next morning as I strolled down the hall towards the CEO’s office I see
this tall, gangly fellow in khakis and a casual button down shirt walking
towards us with a gracious and inviting smile. This guy looked happy and
affable but not exactly how I would draw up the master chef of a global entity
that had $22 billion in sales last year.
“Hi there Jeff, I’m Howard.”
And with that simply greeting, I immediately got it. This
guy surely had more important tasks to tend to that morning but he found time
to carve out 30 minutes for me in his office and he had done the research to
know my name and my bio. He wanted to get to know who this guy was that was
coming to potentially influence his most important commodity…his team.
He was inquisitive, required a lot of eye contact and
focused on listening to me speak… even when I constantly tried to circle it
back and inquire about him and his story. He wanted to know about my
background, what drove me to climbing and adventuring around the globe. He was
interested in my family, how old my son was. He wanted to know what components
of leadership that I felt were the most critical. He asked how my life
experiences had crafted my message. He asked and he listened.
You could tell that Starbucks, it’s employees and what the
entire brand represents is critical to him. He lives it.
I have been blessed over the years to meet and spend time
with some truly transformational individuals who, upon meeting them, you get
the sense that they are paradigm shifting, world churning folks… Tom Brokaw,
Dave Matthews, George W Bush (disliked yes, transformational and charismatic,
also yes), Colin Powell, Sir Edmund Hillary, Tom Robbins (my favorite author), George
Bodenheimer (ESPN CEO) and Phakchock Rinpoche (2nd in line to the
Dalai Lama) amongst others. Each of these individuals ooze charisma and clearly
have that not-easily-quantifiable skill of leading and influencing the masses.
I have also met and spent time with countless executives
that, although they carry the prestige and power of a big title and paycheck
that comes with it, don’t incite enthusiasm and a “willingness to go to battle”
from their team members. They wear their fine Italian suit and slicked back
hair so as to look the part but seem to wield very little real influence except
for that of fear.
After 30 minutes with Howard, I understood why the Starbucks
team regards him as somewhat of a messiah. He lives for them. He asks them to
join his family and represent his love child. He feels strongly that Starbucks
represents diversity and community. He
has a history of telling his shareholders that there are more important issues
than the bottom line…as he succinctly told a conservative, anti-gay-marriage
stakeholder at a meeting last year. “Take your investment elsewhere if you
don’t value diversity and inclusion” is essentially what he encouraged the
narrow minded suit and tie douche. A testimony to the company’s ethos driven
home.
The 30 minutes I spent with Howard that day wasn’t really
about content and discussing how either one of us facilitates or conducts
ourselves when leading teams. I walked away from that encounter understanding
the value that a revered leader places on human interaction and dialogue. So
much of our interface these days takes place in the buffered and sterile
digital world. We are losing the face-to-face encounters that define our
relationships and build trust. I for one am making an effort to do more face to
facing instead of type to typing.
As I was leaving the Starbucks headquarters I recognized one
of Howards assistants strolling my way trying to catch my attention. He handed
me over Howards most recent booked titled Onward:
How Starbucks Fought For It’s Life Without Losing It’s Soul. Inside the front cover was a sincere
personal note from Howard that he clearly compiled based on our conversation.
He was listening.
As I have poured over the book…which is the perfect balance
with the other book I’m currently reading, Greg Allman’s, My Cross To Bear (these two guys have lead very different lives by
the way)… I have already dog-eared and underlined multiple pages and paragraphs
that are very synergistic with my style, message and life approach.
A few of the jewels:
“There are moments in our lives when we summon the courage
to make choices that go against reason, against common sense and the wise
counsel of people we trust. But we lean forward nonetheless because, despite
all risks and rational argument, we believe that the path we are choosing is the
right and best thing to do. We refuse to be bystanders, even if we do not know
exactly where our actions will lead.
This is the kind of passionate conviction that sparks
romances, wins battles, and drives people to pursue dreams others wouldn’t
dare. Belief in ourselves and in what is right catapults us over hurdles, and
our lives unfold.
“Life is a sum of all your choices,” wrote Albert Camus.
Large or small, our actions forge our futures and hopefully inspire others
along the way.”
“Dream more than others think practical. Expect more than
others think possible. Care more than others think wise.”
“People want guidance, not rhetoric. They need to know what
the plan of action is, and how it will be implemented. They want to be given
responsibility to help solve the problem and authority to act on it.”
“In times of adversity and change, we really discover who we
are and what we're made of.”
That meeting inspired to go on to deliver a very impassioned
keynote to the Supply Chain team. Once the smoke settled from that event I was
given the opportunity to facilitate a breakout session for the SCO leadership
team based on…you guessed it, servant leadership. Providing key characteristics
of servant leadership to the team in order for them to enhance the way they
interact with their various teams.
The day was a home run.
Leading teams is a unique and subjective process that can be
achieved through countless styles and approaches. Some are effective. Some are
not. Some influence partners and teammates through inspiration and buy-in.
Others coerce subordinates through fear and manipulation.
I can tell you that my approach and style have been
profoundly impacted by a brief, simple 30-minute meeting I had a few days ago
with a guy who listens and deeply cares about the people around him.
That... and a really well brewed cappuccino.
That... and a really well brewed cappuccino.
Climb High
Jeff
