What Makes Howard Schultz the Kind of Leader He Was Which Also Put Him on the List of the “World’s 50 Great Leaders?”

What makes Howard Schultz the kind of leader he was which also put him on the list of the “World’s 50 Great Leaders?”

1. He believes in hiring the right people.

For the man behind the success of Starbucks, it is not enough to tell people what to do but to get the right people for your team. After he returned as CEO in 2008, he had 10,000 of his managers go on a conference for four days in New Orleans,  wherein he personally became the communicator-in-chief. His goal was to challenge and inspire his managers because he believes that companies need people with intuitive leadership skills. Being the inspirational communicator he is, he was able to convey his message and his managerial team came back more energized as ever.

2. He sticks with being consistent in delivering products and services.

Starbucks has over 22,000 stores globally which offer different coffee blends, sandwiches and hot boxes, among others. But wherever branch you go to, whether in New York or Seoul, you will always get the same perfect taste of that Mocha Frappuccino or Machiatto. Schultz had the goal of giving the best customer care service and that includes consistency of Starbucks’ products.

3. He takes real good care of his employees.

When you hear people say they admire how Howard Schultz takes care of his team, they don’t just mean he gives them perks which he does, like exploring the possibility of offering free rides to employees. He even entitles them with comprehensive health insurance and an option to own stocks, part-time employees, included. These are on top of tuition benefits and shifting schedules not requiring back-to-back graveyard shifts. Moreover, he listens to his employees. Case in point, instead of reprimanding a worker for granting an interview to The New York Times about work schedule, the company acted hours after the publication. Her manager talked with the employee and promised to stabilize her schedule. After a few days, there were positive results.

4. He...