Onward

How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul

By: Howard Schultz, Joanne Gordon

Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby

Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

In 2008, Howard Schultz, the president and chairman of Starbucks, made the unprecedented decision to return as CEO, eight years after he stepped down from daily oversight of the company to become chairman. Concerned that Starbucks had lost its way, Schultz was determined to help it return to its core values and restore not only its financial health, but also its soul. In Onward, he shares the remarkable story of the company's ongoing transformation under his leadership, revealing how, during one of the most tumultuous economic times in history, Starbucks again achieved profitability and sustainability without sacrificing humanity.

A compelling, candid narrative documenting the maturing of a brand as well as a businessman, Onward represents Schultz's central leadership philosophy: It's not just about winning, but the right way to win.

©2011 Howard Schultz. (P)2011 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

"This is a must-read for anyone interested in leadership, management, or the quest to connect a brand with the consumer." ( Publishers Weekly)

Muy Bueno!

The company went through very rough times during the 2008 recession, but somehow, someway, they were able to survive by reinventing themselves.

fightback too long

The narrative is very passionate, but too long . talks about the bonding and relationships.

Worth the read

It was great! So many things I learned about the business of Starbucks. Makes me like them from a bus standpoint.

Informative

It's great to get into the mind of the creator or Starbucks. Fun way to learn the ups and downs of this huge company.

Interesting, but a bit annoying

Here's what I liked about the book:
- Written by Howard Schultz (CEO) which gives a really cool inside perspective
- Gives a really cool inside look into a well known consumer brand
- Gives a lot of insight into HS's leadership style and some of his leadership habits
- A lot of choices they made with the brand were very fascinating (closing stores, getting back to the core competency, investing in training and development, etc).

Here's what I didn't like
- I don't think it was 100% genuine. I thought it was kind of a sales job, in that CEO sales job kind of way. I'd say it seemed 75% genuine.
- Telling the results of a turnaround story before time has run it's course is ridiculous, as is the general timing of the "turnaround." Hello, we were in a major rebound after a recession.
- HS comes across as annoying - sounds to me like he believes a lot of his on BS.
- I found the book to be a couple of hours too long.

Every Small Business Owner should read this

I will listen to this at least two or three times to stay inspired. The way Starbucks works is what I want for my business. Everyone should stand for something and be responsible.

serving the 2008 economic meltdown at starbucks.

Howard Schultz describes his reinvention of Starbucks starting in 2007 to survive the economic crisis. it is a great marketing and management lesson as they fight to survive.

Ivi

I never knew all the struggles Starbucks as a company had to over come to where it is now. It was very informative and very emotional to hear some of the things they had to do to survive. I really enjoyed it.

Such a feel good story!

What a neat look at the back story of one of Starbucks most tumultuous times. You really have no idea how difficult it is to keep the same soul that you originally started out with when you keep expanding. A wonderful story showing how important the PEOPLE are and how impactful it can be when you put them first! Wonderful to listen to!

Starbucks the good corporate citizen.

I respect Howard Schultz for what he has created at Starbucks. I believe Starbucks proves that a business can be both successful and a good corporate citizen or at least makes an attempt to be so. I found the presentation of the growth and development of Starbucks very interesting but the book was repetitive. I felt like I was listening to a very long Starbucks commercial and found myself just waiting for the book to finish. The business community can learn a lot from Howards work at Starbucks: looking at profits alone can actually prevent success and creating a business that is based on quality and an ethic of good corporate citizenship can flourish and be profitable.