by Annette
5. December 2007
Over three years ago, I sat down with Howard Behar, a senior executive at Starbucks, in his office in Seattle. Framed quotes filled the office, like paintings squeezed on an art museum wall. These quotes were the wisdom he collected and shared with people around him as Starbucks grew from a tiny company to the worldwide force it is today.
I said something like, “Howard, these quotes on the wall are your leadership philosophy. That’s a book needs to be written.” He agreed to let me and my colleague Jane Melvin, begin exploring to see if ‘something was there’. As we interviewed those Howard touched across the ranks at Starbucks, indeed, a lot was there. The word that came to fore again and again was love. Howard led by trying to love. And though he didn’t love perfectly, he kept trying. And in the end, he created a style of leadership that inspired the genius of a company.
“It’s Not About the Coffee” is now a book for anyone interested in leading a fuller life – personally and professionally. It’s a book built, not just on management principles, but on principles of being human. It reflects what Starbucks strives to do everyday – nurture and inspire the human spirit. The book is filled with various “Beharisms” that speak wisdom and give you a glimpse of what it’s like to not just raise a company, but raise a culture:
1) People are not assets, they are human beings
2) Only the truth sounds like the truth
3) Think like a person of action. Act like a person of thought
4) Yes is the most powerful word in the world
I’m thankful the stories Jane and I collected and chronicled gave Howard what he needed to write the book that needed to be written. We even snuck in a bit of our own wisdom and stories along the way. For me, I feel like I’ve checked off one thing on my life-list. I’ve helped to spread a message that can inspire a new generation of leaders. Check it out at amazon
