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Onward  By  cover art

Onward

By: Howard Schultz, Joanne Gordon
Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
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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)

Featured Article: Big Ideas in Business and Tech


Even the most successful entrepreneurs had to start somewhere. When it comes to groundbreaking technology, the people who became leading business executives often began as lone visionaries with nothing but an idea. Now that they’re global industry leaders, many of them have shared their amazing stories in memoirs. These tales of heartbreak and triumph will bring you along on the roller-coaster of success, all the while showing you the secrets of how business greats transformed their dreams into reality. Read on to find your next great inspiration!

What listeners say about Onward

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Onward...Together

This book has shown me that a large scale consumer business can sustain compassion and integrity through troubling times. I’m not an expertise to business analytics but this book instead poured emotion into how the visionary for Starbucks truly felt. I believe for those who are interested in how companies, such as Starbucks, start and flourish, then I would start with Onward.

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Inspired and motivated

This was a really good read. Howard is such a passionate leader that cares about people, no wonder Starbucks continues to be so successful.

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great story for missionary founders

great story for missionary founders of chain stores, franchises, and technology companies alike. Loved it.

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More of a blow by blow then underlying philosophy

More of a blow by blow then underlying philosophy, fairly long and drawn out but ok. Definitely about Howard Schultz!

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Stellar Book Into the Mindset of a Top CEO

Ignore the reviews about how Shultz "seems to believe what he says too much." What the heck did you expect - A CEO that doesn't believe in his own company?

For me, this book gave amazing insight into how a top CEO selects his top executives, the challenges in turning a failing company around, how he instills the right company culture and handles Wall Street all at the same time.

First class business book, IMO.

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Listened to it 6 times so far.

A phenomenal book for an entrepreneur. Easy to listen to as well. Just finished my 6th listen in 14 months.

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Inspiring

Loved every min of this book! Howard Schultz's passion for his dream is simply amazing! 5 thumbs up for sure!

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Great Strategy/Leadership Book

Where does Onward rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Onward is a great book based on the others that I have listened to, really enjoyed how it was organized.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Howard provides great detail on his account of specific events, dates and his thoughts.

Which character – as performed by Stephen Bowlby – was your favorite?

Howard was my favorite character given his role at the company and the details from his time at the firm.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Throughout the book, I really enjoyed hearing how Howard cares for the partners. He kept re-inforcing how they deserve benefits such as healthcare and stock in the company.

Any additional comments?

I plan to listen to Howard's other books now after Onward.

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Moving Forward

It is a great story about leadership it shows that you can create a business by doing good to the society. I don't drink coffee but it made me realize how great of a company they are

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Great read for leaders!

What made the experience of listening to Onward the most enjoyable?

It was easy to parallel where I was at in business and what I was doing based on the time frames and backgrounds given in the writing. Most of us experienced a GOOD TIME just before the 2009 ouch hit...

What did you like best about this story?

That even the billion dollar CEO was open enough to have mentors and coaches in his life to help keep him on track.

Which scene was your favorite?

The $30+ million dollar training they put on in New Orleans, not just to make it look good for the business but to invest in their people and make an unforgettable impact on a city that has been decimated!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The coffee cup was FILLED BACK UP!!!

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