Howard Schultz Habits - Leadership and Brand Building

Rise before dawn at 4:30-5:00 AM to gain quiet morning hours for personal preparation and strategic thinking. Maintains circadian rhythm advantage through consistent sleep schedule.

Engage in 60-minute morning workout combining cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises. Prioritizes functional fitness over aesthetic goals, often incorporating sports-specific movements.

Dedicate 30-45 minutes daily to reading books on leadership, social issues, and industry trends. Alternates between physical books and digital summaries for efficient information absorption.

Conduct unannounced visits to 3-5 Starbucks locations weekly. Engages staff in operational discussions and observes customer interactions without corporate identifiers.

Practice 10-minute breathing exercises before major decisions. Uses tactile focus objects like coffee beans to anchor attention during stressful periods.

Allocate 20% of executive meeting time to workforce wellness initiatives. Personally reviews healthcare plan utilization reports quarterly.

Conduct daily aroma tests in roasting facilities and stores. Banned competing smells like toasted cheese to protect coffee scent integrity.

Protect 6:30-8:30 PM as sacrosanct family time. Implements 'no devices' rule during dinner to foster present-moment engagement.

Review underperforming locations quarterly using customer dwell-time metrics. Closes stores failing experience benchmarks despite financial viability.

Allocate 15% of marketing budget to community initiatives. Requires local stores to partner with neighborhood organizations.

Host monthly roundtables with junior employees across departments. Focuses on identifying unconventional talent through situational problem-solving.

Conduct quarterly scenario planning for supply chain disruptions. Simulates responses to coffee crop failures or geopolitical crises.

Visit three international markets annually for extended stays. Engages local coffee rituals rather than formal business meetings.

Publish unedited employee feedback in quarterly reports. Shares critical comments unchanged with board members.

Evaluate all initiatives against 10-year impact projections. Rejects short-term profit plays conflicting with brand equity.

Personally visit coffee farms biennially. Verifies fair trade practices and environmental compliance beyond certification requirements.

Allocate 5% of R&D budget to experimental concepts. Prototypes ideas like coffee-infused alcohol without performance expectations.

Consume protein-rich breakfast within 90 minutes of waking. Avoids sugary snacks, preferring nuts and whole fruits for sustained energy.

Conduct failure autopsies after resolved issues. Documents root causes rather than assigning individual blame.

Implement 4-hour daily email blackouts. Delegates communication triage to assistants during focused work blocks.