Brewing a New Era: How Starbucks’ Leadership Can Rediscover the Heart of the Brand

This week, as I took my regular morning walk, I tuned into the podcast When It Hits The Fan, hosted by PR experts David Yelland and Simon Lewis. They tackle a fascinating topic each week, delving into how companies and individuals manage moments of intense public scrutiny. This week’s episode caught my attention for its focus on Starbucks and its newly appointed CEO, Brian Niccol. Their discussion left me reflecting deeply on Starbucks’ journey and where the brand is headed, especially as a longtime customer myself.

For anyone familiar with Starbucks, it’s impossible to miss the changes the company has gone through recently. From the way they treat customers to their shifting brand image, it’s clear that something foundational has evolved. The latest earnings report showed significant decline, signaling that it was time for a strategic shake-up—and Niccol’s appointment as CEO seems poised to mark a fresh start. But what does that look like for Starbucks? Listening to Yelland and Lewis dissect Niccol’s leadership style, I couldn’t help but think about the early days of Starbucks, when the brand felt less like a business empire and more like a beloved community staple.

I’ve long been interested in the idea of “Cappuccino Coaching,” a concept I wrote about in 2017, which you can read in Cappuccino?Coaching?by?Lewis?Senior. It’s about how leadership lessons can be drawn from experiences as simple as sitting with a cup of coffee, creating an environment where genuine conversation happens, where people feel seen, and where connections are nurtured. Starbucks once pioneered this atmosphere. It wasn’t just about coffee; it was about a place to pause, to connect, and to experience a moment of calm amid the chaos of daily life. Somewhere along the way, though, the brand’s focus shifted. Perhaps the new leadership team can look back to those roots, understanding that the success of Starbucks was never solely about sales numbers or market share but about the community it fostered.

Listening to the podcast sparked an idea: what if Niccol and Starbucks' leadership team embraced a renewed focus on personality diversity as a driver of customer experience? Through our work in Equilibria, I’ve seen how profoundly understanding individual personalities expressed through the E-Colors can transform organizational success. If Starbucks could integrate a framework that celebrates personality diversity, they might unlock new ways to engage both customers and employees on a deeper level.

As we consider reaching out to Mr. Niccol with a proposal to collaborate on these ideas, the potential is exciting. A partnership that blends the Starbucks experience with scientifically researched perspectives into personality diversity could redefine what it means to be a modern brand. Starbucks could once again be at the forefront, not just of coffee culture but of cultivating genuine human connection in every interaction.

The evolution of Starbucks has always been marked by its adaptability and its willingness to listen to the world around it. Perhaps now, under Niccol's leadership, Starbucks can once again become a place that makes people feel valued, not just as customers, but as individuals. Here’s to hoping they embrace that challenge—and to seeing what the future brews.