I recently read It’s Not About the Coffee: Lessons on Putting People First from a Life at Starbucks by Howard Behar. It is no wonder why Starbucks has been so successful! In the book he lists his 10 Principles of Personal Leadership. They are:
- Know Who You Are
- Know Why You’re Here
- Think Independently
- Build Trust
- Listen for the Truth
- Be Accountable
- Take Action
- Face Challenge
- Practice Leadership
- Dare to Dream
The one that I found the most interesting was Think Independently: The Person Who Sweeps the Floor Should Choose the Broom. At one time, the purchasing department ordered the cleaning equipment for the maintenance people at Starbucks. Mr. Behar found that they often did not have the right equipment to do the job, so he had some of the maintenance people evaluate a number of brooms and had them determine what was right for their job. This made me think of what I do every day and how that impacts my clients and their work. Would it be better to get more input from them before making a decision?
There were many other great ideas and I think it is well worth your time to check it out. You may also get a great idea that can really help your business.
Leave a Reply