Howard Schultz is an American businessman, former chairman and CEO of the Starbucks Coffee Company, and owner of the Seattle SuperSonics basketball team from 2001 to 2006.
Below are some of Howard Schultz’s quotes that will inspire you on how you can manage your business effectively.
Table of Contents
Best Howard Schultz Quotes
“To get rich is glorious.” – Howard Schultz
“The word saturation is not even in our vocabulary.” – Howard Schultz
“Compromise anything but your core values.” – Howard Schultz
“Large or small, our actions forge our futures, hopefully inspiring others along the way.” – Howard Schultz
“When you’re in a hole, quit digging!” – Howard Schultz
“In anything we do, any endeavour, it’s not what you do; it’s why you do it.” – Howard Schultz
“Luck is the residue of design.” – Howard Schultz
“You have to create the thing you want to be part of.” – Howard Schultz
“Whatever you do, don’t play it safe.” – Howard Schultz
“In times of adversity and change, we really discover who we are and what we’re made of.” – Howard Schultz
“If it Captures Your Imagination, it will captivate others.” – Howard Schultz
“Anybody can leverage celebrity for profit.” – Howard Schultz
“We have a big opportunity in China. We think the number of stores here can rival the number in North America.” – Howard Schultz
“The issue of managing through a crisis is you have to be decisive even if you don’t have perfect information.” – Howard Schultz
“The lifeblood of job creation in America is small business, but they can’t get access to credit.” – Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz Motivational Quotes
“When companies fail, or fail to grow, it’s almost always because they don’t invest in the people, the systems, and the processes they need.” – Howard Schultz
“I think that sometimes the difference between winning and losing, success and failure, is this gray line between will, passion and self-belief that says, ‘I’m going to do this’.” – Howard Schultz
“Risk more than others think safe.” – Howard Schultz
“I realize that idealism is out of sync with the cynicism of our age. Skepticism has come to be synonymous with sophistication, and glibness is mistaken for intelligence. In such an atmosphere, why bother aiming high? Far too many people don’t. I just want to reassure people to have the courage to persevere, to keep following their hearts even when others scoff. Don’t be beaten down by naysayers. Don’t let the odds scare you from even trying.” – Howard Schultz
“Hiring people is an art, not a science, and resumes can’t tell you whether someone will fit into a company’s culture.” – Howard Schultz
“And with the right mentor, don’t be afraid to expose your vulnerabilities. Admit you don’t know what you don’t know. When you acknowledge your weaknesses and ask for advice, you’ll be surprised how much others will help.” – Howard Schultz
“People want to be part of something larger than themselves. They want to be part of something they’re really proud of, that they’ll fight for, sacrifice for, that they trust.” – Howard Schultz
“Success is something that has to be earned every day.” – Howard Schultz
“Great companies are defined by their discipline and their understanding of who they are and who they are not.” – Howard Schultz
“I conduct my life with an expectation that people will do the right thing. Yet even with all my experience, I am still surprised when they do not.” – Howard Schultz
“Always challenge the old ways.” – Howard Schultz
“We are witnessing a seismic change in consumer behavior. That change is being brought about by technology and the access people have to information.” – Howard Schultz
“My mother taught me something at a young age – she said ‘you are the company you keep.’ To define yourself by some label or some level of resources – that’s pretty shallow.” – Howard Schultz
“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 right and best thing to do. We refuse to be bystanders, even if we do not know exactly where our actions will lead.” – Howard Schultz
“The challenge of the retail business is the human condition.” – Howard Schultz
“My parents really wanted me to get out of New York, be exposed to other people, other ways of life.” – Howard Schultz
“Beverages have to be created. And they’re created by looking at what trend is in, say, the fashion industry – what color is hot right now.” – Howard Schultz
“My biggest concern is that America is drifting towards mediocrity and that people don’t recognize – and by people I’m meaning Washington – don’t recognize the sense of urgency and the fact that I don’t think this is a crisis anymore. I think it’s an emergency.” – Howard Schultz
“Most business people today are not going to invest in the uncertainty that exists in America.” – Howard Schultz
“Success in the United States is not an entitlement in China. You have to go there and earn it, and earn it the right way.” – Howard Schultz
“Even though people are under economic pressure, they still want to support those brands with values that are compatible with their own.” – Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz Inspirational Quotes
“I don’t have any secret sauce and I’m no smarter than anyone else. I will say I have surrounded myself with unbelievable talent that has made my job easier.” – Howard Schultz
“Early on I realized that I had to hire people smarter and more qualified than I was in a number of different fields, and I had to let go of a lot of decision-making. I can’t tell you how hard that is. But if you’ve imprinted your values on the people around you, you can dare to trust them to make the right moves.” – Howard Schultz
“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.” – Howard Schultz
“Good results is not an entitlement. It has to be earned and earned each individual working day via the lens of humility.” – Howard Schultz
“I’ve traveled around the world, and what’s so revealing is that, despite the differences in culture, politics, language, how people dress, there is a universal feeling that we all want the same thing. We deeply want to be respected and appreciated for our differences.” – Howard Schultz
“My passion. My commitment. This is the most important thing in my life other than my family.” – Howard Schultz
“Authentic brands don’t emerge from marketing cubicles or advertising agencies. They emanate from everything the company does.” – Howard Schultz
“Success is best when it is shared.” – Howard Schultz
“Social and digital media is a bullet train, and that bullet train is not coming home.” – Howard Schultz
“Work should be personal. For all of us. Not just for the artist and entrepreneur. Work should have meaning for the accountant, the construction worker, the technologist, the manager and the clerk.” – Howard Schultz
“At an early age, my mother gave me this feeling that anything is possible, and I believe that.” – Howard Schultz
“Success is the by-product when you work toward the target.” – Howard Schultz
“We want passion for our business.. workers who can interpret and execute our mission, who want to build a career, not just take a temporary job.” – Howard Schultz
“Be bold, but be fair. Don’t give in. If others around you have integrity, too, you can prevail.” – Howard Schultz
“Companies should not have a singular view of profitability. There needs to be a balance between commerce and social responsibility… The companies that are authentic about it will wind up as the companies that make more money.” – Howard Schultz
“Managing a business, small or large, today requires an extremely disciplined, thoughtful approach with regard to the pressure that people are under.” – Howard Schultz
“I do feel, in a sense, the rules of engagement for citizenship has changed, and we must encourage other people to speak up and to take action.” – Howard Schultz
“I never took classic business classes in college, so I don’t have the background that any of the people running large companies have.” – Howard Schultz
“It’s ironic that no matter where I go, I meet people from Brooklyn. I’m proud of that heritage. It’s where I’m from, who I am.” – Howard Schultz
“The entrepreneurial opportunity in America is alive and well.” – Howard Schultz
“Mass advertising can help build brands, but authenticity is what makes them last. If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.” – Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz Quotes on Success
“I always saw myself wanting to do something deemed successful and good at the same time.” – Howard Schultz
“Success is empty if you arrive at the finish line alone. The best reward is to get there surrounded by winners.” – Howard Schultz
“Success is not sustainable if it is defined by how big you become or by growth for growth’s sake. Success is very shallow if it doesn’t have emotional meaning.” – Howard Schultz
“I am convinced that most people can achieve their dreams and beyond if they have the determination to keep trying.” – Howard Schultz
“When you’re surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible.” – Howard Schultz
“In life, you can blame a lot of people and you can wallow in self-pity, or you can pick yourself up and say, ‘Listen, I have to be responsible for myself.’” – Howard Schultz
“I think if you’re an entrepreneur, you’ve got to dream big and then dream bigger.” – Howard Schultz
“Profitability is a shallow goal if it doesn’t have a real purpose, and the purpose has to be share the profits with others.” – Howard Schultz
“If you don’t love what you’re doing with unbridled passion and enthusiasm, you’re not going to succeed when you hit obstacles.” – Howard Schultz
“Great opportunities can be and have been created during tough economic times.” – Howard Schultz
“You must find something that you deeply love and are passionate about and are willing to sacrifice a lot to achieve.” – Howard Schultz
“I never wanted to be on any billionaires list. I never define myself by net worth. I always try to define myself by my values.” – Howard Schultz
“I believe life is a series of near misses. A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. It’s seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It’s seeing what other people don’t see And pursuing that vision.” – Howard Schultz
“Don’t do things the way they’ve always been done. Don’t try to fit into the system. If you do what’s expected of you, you’ll never accomplish more than others expect.” – Howard Schultz
“Grow with discipline. Balance intuition with rigor. Innovate around the core. Don’t embrace the status quo. Find new ways to see. Never expect a silver bullet. Get your hands dirty. Listen with empathy and overcommunicate with transparency. Tell your story, refusing to let others define you. Use authentic experiences to inspire. Stick to your values, they are your foundation. Hold people accountable, but give them the tools to succeed. Make the tough choices; it’s how you execute that counts. Be decisive in times of crisis. Be nimble. Find truth in trials and lessons in mistakes. Be responsible for what you see, hear, and do. Believe.” – Howard Schultz
“Remember: You’ll be left with an empty feeling if you hit the finish line alone. When you run a race as a team, though, you’ll discover that much of the reward comes from hitting the tape together. You want to be surrounded not just by cheering onlookers but by a crowd of winners, celebrating as one.” – Howard Schultz
“If you examine a butterfly according to the laws of aerodynamics, it shouldn’t be able to fly. But the butterfly doesn’t know that, so it flies.” – Howard Schultz
“Every step of the way, I made it a point to underpromise and overdeliver. In the long run, that’s the only way to ensure security in any job.” – Howard Schultz
“Victory is much more meaningful when it comes not just from one person, but from the joint achievements of many.” – Howard Schultz
“Don’t be threatened by people smarter than you. Compromise anything but your core values. Seek to renew yourself even when you are hitting home runs. And everything matters.” – Howard Schultz
“The success of the Starbucks has been based on this balance between profitability and a social conscience. Everywhere we’re doing business, were trying to manage the business through the lens of humanity.” – Howard Schultz
“Everyone starts strong. Success comes to those with unwavering commitment to be at the end.” – Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz Quotes on Business
“A great business has to have a conscience. You have to know who you are and who you are not.” – Howard Schultz
“When you’re building a business or joining a company, you have to be transparent; you can’t have two sets of information for two sets of people.” – Howard Schultz
“I’m not as interested in what you make as I am in what you’re passionate about. What business are you really in?” – Howard Schultz
“Any business today that embraces the status quo as an operating principle is going to be on a death march.” – Howard Schultz
“Cutting prices or putting things on sale is not sustainable business strategy. The other side of it is that you can’t cut enough costs to save your way to prosperity.” – Howard Schultz
“The ability to recognize limitations in yourself is what determines whether you have a great idea that can become a great business. You can’t keep your finger on the pulse of all the issues you’ll face; no one person can do everything. Entrepreneurs are bold thinkers, but they’re usually not detail-oriented. You need the self-esteem to hire people who are smarter than you and give them the autonomy to manage their own areas. Surround yourself with great people and get out of the way; don’t try to micromanage things as you did early on.” – Howard Schultz
“Be very careful not to allow the values of the company to be compromised by an ambition to grow. Every decision and opportunity has to be put into that context: What will it look like in the long term? Growth can be a seductive evil if it isn’t built on the right foundation. There are a lot of similarities between rearing a family, where the parents imprint values on their children, and starting a new business, where the founder sets the ground rules very early. If you do it right and maintain those values, growth will be managed so you don’t lose the soul of the company.” – Howard Schultz
“I can’t give you any secret recipe for success, any foolproof plan for making it in the world of business. But my own experience suggests that it is possible to start from nothing and achieve even beyond your dreams.” – Howard Schultz
“You have to have a 100% belief in your core reason for being.” – Howard Schultz
“You have to be authentic, you have to be true, and you have to believe in your heart that this is going to work.” – Howard Schultz
“We live in an age where everything is based on the short term.” – Howard Schultz
“Great companies that build an enduring brand have an emotional relationship with customers that has no barrier. And that emotional relationship is on the most important characteristic, which is trust.” – Howard Schultz
“You can’t build any kind of organization if you’re not going to surround yourself with people who have experience and skill base beyond your own.” – Howard Schultz
“Often, organizations need bold, grand gestures to galvanize people towards a new mission or refocus their attention.” – Howard Schultz
“When you start a company, it’s a singular focus. You have the wind at your back.” – Howard Schultz
“People ask me what’s the most important function when you’re starting an organization or setting up the kind of culture and values that are going to endure. The discipline I believe so strongly in is H.R., and its the last discipline that gets funded.” – Howard Schultz
“I think many start-ups make mistakes because they are focusing on things that are farther ahead, and they haven’t done the work that has built the foundation to support it.” – Howard Schultz
“We have no patent on anything we do and anything we do can be copied by anyone else. But you can’t copy the heart and soul and the conscience of the company.” – Howard Schultz
“In this ever-changing society, the most powerful and enduring brands are built from the heart. They are real and sustainable. Their foundations are stronger because they are built with the strength of the human spirit, not an ad campaign. The companies that are lasting are those that are authentic.” – Howard Schultz
“I was turned down by 217 of the 242 investors I initially talked to. You have to have a tremendous belief in what you’re doing and just persevere. The three venture capital firms we ended up with in 1989 are still on the board today and have been an invaluable resource. You have to build a board where there are shared values and trust so you aren’t always at odds. I encourage board members to be honest with me, and I give them assignments that enhance their contributions.” – Howard Schultz
“Great companies recognize who they are and who they are not. But they must have the courage to examine transformational opportunities.” – Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz Quotes on Employees
“You can’t expect your employees to exceed the expectations of your customers if you don’t exceed your employee’s expectation of management.” – Howard Schultz
“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. That’s the contract.” – Howard Schultz
“It’s different when you’re trying to turn something around, especially something that you built, at a time when so many constituents – the media, Wall Street, competitors, ex-employees – are all saying that Starbucks’s best days are behind it, and that Schultz is never going to be able to bring it back.” – Howard Schultz
“On balance, I am a supporter of the minimum wage going up. We’ve got to be very careful what we wish for because some employers – and there could be a lot of them – will be scared away from hiring new people or creating incremental hours for part-time people as a result of that wage going up.” – Howard Schultz
“We will never-and I mean never-turn our backs on our employees.” – Howard Schultz
“It’s ironic that retailers and restaurants live or die on customer service, yet their employees have some of the lowest pay and worst benefits of any industry. That’s one reason so many retail experiences are mediocre for the public.” – Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz Quotes on Customer Service
“I am concerned about any attrition in customer traffic at Starbucks, but I don’t want to use the economy, commodity prices or consumer confidence as an excuse.” – Howard Schultz
“Starbucks is committed to evolving and enhancing our customer experience with innovative and wholesome food offerings.” – Howard Schultz
“Customers have different need states and life experiences.” – Howard Schultz
“The rules of engagement around building a brand have changed significantly over the past 10 to 15 years. Where companies at one time could spread their message through traditional marketing, consumers now seek an enduring emotional connection with the companies they patronize. The foundation of that connection is the most important characteristic of building a world-class brand: trust. Trust with your people and trust with your customers.” – Howard Schultz
“The Starbucks customer and the Teavana customer are two very different customers, two different need states that are highly complementary.” – Howard Schultz
“We need to put ourselves in the shoes of our customers. That is my new battle cry. Live and breathe Starbucks the way our customers do.” – Howard Schultz
“Customers don’t always know what they want. The decline in coffee-drinking was due to the fact that most of the coffee people bought was stale and they weren’t enjoying it. Once they tasted ours and experienced what we call “the third place” … a gathering place between home and work where they were treated with respect.. they found we were filling a need they didn’t know they had.” – Howard Schultz
“Customers must recognize that you stand for something.” – Howard Schultz
“Post-9/11, we saw an immediate uptick in the amount of people in our stores, all over the country. People wanted that human connection. We are not going to fracture the Starbucks experience.” – Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz Quotes about Starbucks
“Starbucks is not an advertiser; people think we are a great marketing company, but in fact we spend very little money on marketing and more money on training our people than advertising.” – Howard Schultz
“While we are a coffee company at heart, Starbucks provides much more than the best cup of coffee—we offer a community gathering place where people come together to connect and discover new things.” – Howard Schultz
“I think Starbucks created a platform and, ultimately, a runway for many other companies to emulate. I suspect if we had not achieved what we have, there would have been many regional brands that would have succeeded. But I’m not sure there would have been a national brand of the scope of Starbucks.” – Howard Schultz
“For Starbucks, there will be no shortage of the highest-quality arabica beans. I suspect that for some others there could potentially be a problem, not in the near term, but over time.” – Howard Schultz
“People have come to me over the years and said to me: ‘I admire the culture of Starbucks. Can you come give a speech and help us turn our culture around?’ I wish it were that easy. Turning a culture around is very difficult to do because it’s based on a series of many, many decisions, and the organization is framed by those decisions.” – Howard Schultz
“We sell tea in Starbucks, but I think the experience is very different. I think coffee is something that is quick – it’s transactional. I think tea is more Zen-like. It requires a different environment.” – Howard Schultz
“London, a city where creativity and innovation have always flourished, provides a significant home for Starbucks and a significant gateway into Europe.” – Howard Schultz
“Despite the fact that Starbucks has grown to be a large company. We’ve always played music in our stores and has always acted as an opportunity to create a mood in our stores. And customers started asking, “What song are you playing and can I buy that?” . And we said “No.” And that was kind of the catalyst for beginning to look at music. We started out with our own compilations and after the success of that. We had the courage to say, “Let’s produce our own record.” and the first record was with Ray Charles before he unfortunately passed away.” – Howard Schultz
“Starbucks being an extension of peoples home and work. The sense of community, human connection. That appears to be as relevant in Turkey, China, Japan and Spain as it is here in America. And Starbucks I think is creating something for people all over the world that has not existed before.” – Howard Schultz
“Starbucks has stores in America in many, many communities that are governed by many, many different municipalities. Starbucks cannot dictate to a municipality in Cincinnati or Kansas City or Sacramento how or why or when there should be a recycling program.” – Howard Schultz
“If Vancouver did not succeed as Starbucks from ’87 on, our entire international business, which is now thousands of stores and a significant amount of growth and profit, may not have existed.” – Howard Schultz
“Starbucks represents something beyond a cup of coffee.” – Howard Schultz
“More than anything else, technology will pave the way for innovative change at Starbucks. The bulk of Starbucks’ innovation over the next several years will be technology-focused.” – Howard Schultz
“Do I take criticism of Starbucks personally? Of course I do.” – Howard Schultz
“With a population of more than 600 million people, an emerging middle class that is driving strong consumption, and a robust and resilient economy, Southeast Asia presents a compelling growth opportunity for Starbucks.” – Howard Schultz
“When I first discovered in the early 1980s the Italian espresso bars in my trip to Italy, the vision was to recreate that for America – a third place that had not existed before. Starbucks recreated that in America in our own image; a place to go other than home or work. We also created an industry that did not exist: specialty coffee.” – Howard Schultz
“I think people will walk into the Starbucks store and overnight recognize the significant difference between what Starbucks represents day-in and day-out and all the other coffee companies that have been serving coffee in India for so many years.” – Howard Schultz
“I could’ve just walked away but I never could have forgiven myself to allow Starbucks to drift into mediocrity or not be relevant. I just couldn’t be a bystander.” – Howard Schultz
“Starbucks is in my blood. It is such a part of me that letting it unravel simply was not an option.” – Howard Schultz
“Starbucks has changed the rules of engagement for the music industry.” – Howard Schultz
“Our history is based on extending the brand to categories within the guardrails of Starbucks.” – Howard Schultz
“When it comes to Starbucks, I take every threat very personally.” – Howard Schultz
“We need to reinvent food at Starbucks. Less could be more.” – Howard Schultz
“Starbucks trying to build a different kind of company around the balance of profitably and benevolence. A social conscience. And that isn’t a program it has to be a way of life.” – Howard Schultz
“At Starbucks 0 as in any business, in any life – there are so many hectic moments during the day when we are simply trying to do the job, trying to put out the fires, trying to solve any number of small problems, that we often lose sight of what it is we’re really here to do.” – Howard Schultz
“California, in a sense, is almost Starbucks’ largest country, with almost 3,000 stores.” – Howard Schultz
“The response to the Starbucks brand has been phenomenal in our international markets.” – Howard Schultz
“When we began Starbucks, what I wanted to try to do was to create a set of values, guiding principles, and culture.” – Howard Schultz
“When I returned as CEO in 2008, Starbucks had forgotten that meaningful innovations balance an organization’s heritage with modern-day relevance and market differentiation, so we had to reorient. In one brainstorming session, we visited and observed great retailers, then asked ourselves, ‘If Starbucks did not exist, what type of coffee experience would we create?” – Howard Schultz
“Overnight the digital age had changed the course of history for our company. Everything that we thought was in our control no longer was. But within a year we had invested in social media and digital experts. Now Starbucks is the number one brand on Facebook.” – Howard Schultz
“We woke up one day, and all the sudden Starbucks was in the middle of this political crossfire between the people who want to bring a gun into Starbucks and the people who want to prevent it. It is a very difficult, fragile situation.” – Howard Schultz
“I honestly never dreamed at the time that I would one day own the Starbucks and or be in a position where we would have more than 10,000 stores around the world. It has just been an incredible journey for all of us.” – Howard Schultz
“People around the world, they want the authentic Starbucks experience.” – Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz Quotes about Coffee
“Starbucks has a role and a meaningful relationship with people that is not only about the coffee.” – Howard Schultz
“We are not in the coffee business serving people, we are in the people business serving coffee.” – Howard Schultz
“I think we are living in a time where the consumer has lots of choices, whether it’s coffee, newspapers or whatever it is. And there is parity in the market place and as a result of that the consumer is beginning to make decisions, not just on what things cost and the convenience of it.” – Howard Schultz
“China traditionally has been a tea-drinking country but we turned them into coffee drinkers.” – Howard Schultz
“We would take something old and tired and common – coffee – and weave a sense of romance and community around it. We would rediscover the mystique and charm that had swirled around coffee throughout the centuries.” – Howard Schultz
“I was taken by the power that savoring a simple cup of coffee can have to connect people and create community.” – Howard Schultz
“The premium single-cup segment is the fastest-growing business within the global coffee industry.” – Howard Schultz
“I can’t imagine a day without coffee. I can’t imagine!” – Howard Schultz
“In many places where coffee is grown, deforestation is a major issue. With Starbucks’ position in the marketplace and the respect and relationships we have, we can – and have, in some cases – been able to educate and influence people.” – Howard Schultz
“The growth of the company and the license that Starbucks has is to participate in other food and beverage opportunities. We have a global business… and in many parts of the world, tea is much, much bigger than coffee, and we’re going to bring tea and bring our capability and our understanding of what we’ve done for coffee to tea.” – Howard Schultz
“Starbucks is rekindling America’s love affair with coffee, bringing romance and fresh flavor back to the brew.” – Howard Schultz
“There’s this myth that has been exacerbated by others that Starbucks means a $4 cup of coffee, which is not true.” – Howard Schultz
“Don’t buy preground coffee.” – Howard Schultz
“We think of Starbucks not as a coffee company but a media company.” – Howard Schultz
“My kids probably started drinking coffee in their late teens.” – Howard Schultz
“Certainly the caffeine in coffee, whether it’s Starbucks or generic coffee, is somewhat of a stimulant. But if you drink it in moderation, which I think four or five cups a day is, you’re fine.” – Howard Schultz
“If you look at coffee, tea, food and juice, we think there are inherent opportunities. If you look at health bars or grab-and-go products that are in our stores, we think we can significantly enhance them and make them more widely available.” – Howard Schultz
“I probably have about four or five cups of coffee a day. I make myself an espresso macchiato when I wake, which is a shot of espresso and just a dollop of steamed milk. Then, if I’m going to do some work at home, I would make myself a French press. It’s the best way to make conventional coffee.” – Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz Quotes on Leadership
“You need to be willing to surround yourself with people more talented than you are in certain areas. You need a degree of fear of failure to keep you going. And, while everyone wants leaders who demonstrate courage, passion and boldness, you should not be afraid to show vulnerability now and then.” – Howard Schultz
“To be an enduring, great company, you have to build a mechanism for preventing or solving problems that will long outlast any one individual leader.” – Howard Schultz
“To stay vigorous, a company needs to provide a stimulating and challenging environment for all these types: the dreamer, the entrepreneur, the professional manager, and the leader. If it doesn’t, it risks becoming yet another mediocre corporation.” – Howard Schultz
“One of the fundamental aspects of leadership, I realized more and more, is the ability to instill confidence in others when you yourself are feeling insecure.” – Howard Schultz
“I think the currency of leadership is transparency.” – Howard Schultz
“Business leaders cannot be bystanders.” – Howard Schultz
“The hardest thing about being a leader is demonstrating or showing vulnerability… When the leader demonstrates vulnerability and sensibility and brings people together, the team wins.” – Howard Schultz
“I think the currency of leadership is transparency. You’ve got to be truthful. I don’t think you should be vulnerable every day, but there are moments where you’ve got to share your soul and conscience with people and show them who you are, and not be afraid of it.” – Howard Schultz
“As a business leader, my quest has never been just about winning or making money. It has also been about building a great, enduring company, which has always meant striking a balance between profit and social conscience.” – Howard Schultz
“You have to be honest and authentic and not hide. I think the leader today has to demonstrate both transparency and vulnerability, and with that comes truthfulness and humility.” – Howard Schultz
“Treating employees benevolently shouldn’t be viewed as an added cost that cuts into profits, but as a powerful energizer that can grow the enterprise into something far greater than one leader could envision.” – Howard Schultz
“At its core, I believe leadership is about instilling confidence in others.” – Howard Schultz
“Effective leaders share two intertwined attributes: an unbridled level of confidence about where their organizations are headed, and the ability to bring people along.” – Howard Schultz
“I think there is probably no better person to aspire to emulate than Steve Jobs and what he has done at Apple in terms of his leadership, his innovation, not settling for mediocrity.” – Howard Schultz
“We can’t wait for Washington. Business leaders are going to have to galvanize their own constituencies and do everything they can to demonstrate confidence in the economy, and I think that can be contagious.” – Howard Schultz
“The leaders in Washington have got to come together in a bipartisan way and do the right thing for the people who are being left behind. We cannot have an America that is only based on the wealthy.” – Howard Schultz
Howard Schultz Quotes on Dreams
“Fear of failure drove me at first, but as I tackled each challenge, my anxiety was replaced by a growing sense of optimism. Once you overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, other hurdles become less daunting. Most people can achieve beyond their dreams if they insist upon it. I’d encourage everyone to dream big, lay your foundations well, absorb information like a sponge, and not be afraid to defy conventional wisdom. Just because it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.” – Howard Schultz
“If you want to build a great enterprise, you have to have the courage to dream great dreams. If you dream small dreams, you may succeed in building something small. For many people, that is enough. But if you want to achieve widespread impact and lasting value, be bold.” – Howard Schultz
“When we love something, emotion often drives our actions. This is the gift and the challenge entrepreneurs face every day. The companies we dream of and build from scratch are part of us and intensely personal. They are our families. Our lives. But the entrepreneurial journey is not for everyone. Yes, the highs are high and the rewards can be thrilling. But the lows can break your heart. Entrepreneurs must love what they do to such a degree that doing it is worth sacrifice and, at times, pain. But doing anything else, we think, would be unimaginable.” – Howard Schultz
“But when you really believe in yourself, in your dream, you just have to do everything you possibly can to take control and make your vision a reality. No great achievement happens by luck.” – Howard Schultz
“I feel so strongly that the reason I’m here is I dreamed big dreams. I dreamed the kind of dreams that other people said would not be possible.” – Howard Schultz
“Dream more than others think practical. Expect more than others think possible. Care more than others think wise.” – Howard Schultz
“What I would say to young entrepreneurs is there’s so many moments in your life where you have these dreams, and people are trying to protect you, and they say, perhaps, friends, family, parents sometimes, they don’t agree with it, they think, ‘This is just too high of a hurdle.’ And I don’t agree with that.” – Howard Schultz
“This may sound a bit naive, but I got here by believing in big dreams.” – Howard Schultz
“I think the most important thing that I think everyone in America must have is belief that wherever they live, whatever station they have in life, that the American dream is alive and well. I think the fracturing of trust and confidence is in the American dream.” – Howard Schultz
“I was born on the other side of the tracks, in public housing in Brooklyn, New York. My dad never made more than $20,000 a year, and I grew up in a family that lost health insurance. So I was scarred at a young age with understanding what it was like to watch my parents lose access to the American dream.” – Howard Schultz
“I grew up in a working class family where there was no health insurance. I saw first hand the fracturing of the American dream and the bitterness that comes when there is no hope and a lot of despair. So I wanted to build the company, in a sense, that my father never got a chance to work for.” – Howard Schultz
“Passionate conviction … 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.” – Howard Schultz
“Everyone must have a shot at the American Dream.” – Howard Schultz
“Don’t settle! Embrace a dream–and keep dreaming. Don’t be a bystander. Take it personally.” – Howard Schultz
“Who wants a dream that’s near-fetched?” – Howard Schultz
“It’s one thing to dream, but when the moment is right, you’ve got to be willing to leave what’s familiar and go out to find your own sound.” – Howard Schultz
“If you pour your heart into your work, or into any worthy enterprise, you can achieve dreams others may think impossible.” – Howard Schultz
“Believe in your dreams and dream big. And then after you’ve done that, dream bigger.” –Howard Schultz
Famous Howard Schultz Quotes
“People in Washington need to put their feet in the shoes of working Americans.” – Howard Schultz
“As Americans, there are very few things we have confidence in.” – Howard Schultz
“I think my whole life, because of where I came from, I had a fear of failure.” – Howard Schultz
“Pouring espresso is an art, one that requires the barista to care about the quality of the beverage.” – Howard Schultz
“I’m a voracious reader.” – Howard Schultz
“I’m not losing any sleep over Dunkin Donuts.” – Howard Schultz
“I despise research. I think it’s a crutch.” – Howard Schultz
“I love being the underdog.” – Howard Schultz
“I’m much more concerned about America than the Democratic Party.” – Howard Schultz
“I’m optimistic about the country; I’m optimistic about the American people.” – Howard Schultz
“I think growth covers up mistakes.” – Howard Schultz
“While their service is ending, our responsibility is just beginning!” – Howard Schultz
“Sometimes the difference between winning and losing is will. The will to make it happen.” – Howard Schultz
“I really believe that you cannot use the stock market as a proxy for the economy.” – Howard Schultz
“Managing and navigating through a financial crisis is no fun at all.” – Howard Schultz
FAQs | Motivational Howard Schultz quotes
Here are some frequently asked questions about Howard Schultz and his famous quotes.
Who is Howard Schultz?
Howard Schultz is an American businessman, former chairman and CEO of the Starbucks Coffee Company, and owner of the Seattle SuperSonics basketball team from 2001 to 2006.
What is Howard Schultz famous for?
Howard Schultz is famous for being the former chairman and CEO of Starbucks Coffee Company. He was also the owner of the Seattle SuperSonics basketball team from 2001 to 2006.
Final thoughts on Howard Schultz quotes
I hope you enjoyed this epic list of the best inspirational Howard Schultz quotes.
“The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”

Howard Schultz
#1 YouTuber, businessman & philanthropist
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