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Howard Schultz : Leading Starbucks

Better Essays

Ian Munroe
Savannah State University
Critical Leadership Issue

Ian Munroe
Dr. Nicole Cannonier
MNGT 4110
14 April 2015
Howard Schultz: Leading Starbucks Through Change Starbucks Coffee opened the doors to its first location in Seattle in 1971 and moved to its permanent home at Pikes Peak Market in 1976. The humble enterprise was the creation of three college friends; Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegl, and Gordon Bowker. The original business model was to sell high-quality coffee beans and equipment. Between 1971 and 1986, the company expanded to 6 locations around Seattle. In the beginning, Starbucks did not sell one cup of coffee (Starbucks). The way that Starbucks evolved from its modest roots into the world’s leading coffeehouse company must be credited to the leadership and vision of Howard Schultz. Howard Schultz was born into a poor, Jewish family in 1953 in Brooklyn, New York. He excelled in sports and as a result was offered a full athletic scholarship to Northern Michigan University, becoming the first member of his family to attend college. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree in communications in 1975. His modest childhood led him to develop a strong work ethic and an unwavering tenacity which was shown at his first job at Xerox Corporation. He started his work with Xerox just after graduation and was quickly promoted to a full sales representative. After learning some business prowess, Schultz became the general manager at a Swedish drip coffee

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