Howard Behar (former president of Starbucks International) and I have one thing in common: our favourite drink at Starbucks is a ‘tall triple shot americano’. Howard Behar has written a great book that anyone involved in leadership should read, it’s called:
It’s not about the coffee – lessons on putting people first from a life at Starbucks.
Bearing in mind the importance of reorganizing life around what matters, I was stopped in my tracks when I read the following sentence in the book.
“Caring about people keeps you focused on what truly matters”
When I become the centre of my universe, I lose perspective. Initially this is just a small shift, but unless my focus changes, then the loss of perspective can be dramatic and damaging.
What Behar means when he says caring for others is “putting other people before yourself”. This is not a new way of thinking and behaving discovered to create the Starbucks Experience. It is a way of thinking that results from applying the Golden rule:
“Do for others what you would like them to do for you”.
A great speaker and prolific author named Zig Ziglar believed that:
“You Can Only Get What You Want, If You Help Enough Other People Get What They Want”
So what kind of person do I want to be known as – selfish or selfless? It depends on where my focus is and I agree with Howard Behar, not only on his choice of drink but that:
“Caring about people keeps you focused on what truly matters”
We at Ignite want to help you and your organisation “get what you want”
By starting with this as our “WHY”, we can stand out from others within the field by caring holistically about our clients and emphasising on integrity and relationship building.
We offer not only training, but reassurance and companionship with the aim of nurturing a mutually fruitful and beneficial relationship.
Tomos
Ignite Training Wales 