Living your purpose in work and in life (with Kevin Johnson, Starbucks CEO)

This episode’s guest and JP go way back. JP first met Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson at Microsoft in 2003, where he was JP’s manager. Join these two ‘friends for life’ as they chat about servant leadership, why every Starbucks meeting starts with a coffee tasting, Kevin’s personal mission to ‘do things that are joyful’ – and even learning transcendental meditation at Ringo Starr’s birthday party.  

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Transcript

JP: A very warm welcome. My name is Jean-Philippe Courtois, but please call me JP. I'm a member of the Microsoft senior leadership team, where I have worked since 1984. And I'm the co-founder of the Live for Good foundation. 

I’m also someone who believes deeply in the power of Positive Leadership. So if you want to learn how to unlock your passion, your strengths, your positive energy to become a better person and unleash your potential as leader. If you want to inspire the diverse teams you belong to, so that they can bring their best game every day. And if you believe you can align your personal mission to have positive impact in the world, well, please come and join me to learn, to share and to meet with some of the most inspiring diverse guests and best practitioners of Positive Leadership across business, academia, and civil society. So let's get started!

It is my great pleasure today to introduce you to a very special leader and a very special friend, Kevin Johnson, the President and CEO of Starbucks. Kevin and I go a long way back. We were actually formerly colleagues at Microsoft. Back in 2003, he was my manager when he was leading the worldwide sales marketing services organization, and I was running Microsoft in Europe, Middle East and Africa. He was then the CEO of Juniper Networks before joining Starbucks. Under his leadership, Starbucks is focused on nurturing what's at the heart of its success – human connection. He, also along with his family, are also involved with non-profit organizations, like the Youth East Side Services, one of the largest providers of youth and family counselling in the Seattle area.  

I also know Kevin as a unique leader. He is not only naturally warm and empathetic, but truly centered on people. I remember the way he always asked me how I was doing, not superficially, but really asking about my life. And how could he help me to drive a bigger impact? His approach plus his wonderful journey as a leader across 30 years in many global companies is why I thought he was the perfect person to talk to us about Positive Leadership. 

I'm so excited to share with you our conversation, where we discuss everything from why he starts every meeting with a coffee tasting ritual, and why companies need to be Planet, People and Profit positive, and how he learned transcendental meditation at Ringo Starr's birthday party. 

Welcome, Kevin, and thank you for being with us today. Kevin, to me you have always been what I would call a positive leader. I remember a story you told at Microsoft about The Tipping Point book. It is a very well-known book, but I remember you used it as a powerful tool to motivate our people, to shape the culture of our teams and fix those broken windows – the visible signs of disorder – to delight our customers. So I'd like to ask you, what does Positive Leadership mean to you? And why did that book help you act as a positive leader? 

KEVIN JOHNSON: Well Jean-Philippe, first of all, it's a pleasure to be with you today and thanks for including me in this discussion. And, you know, as you reflect on this topic of Positive Leadership, you know, I'm a believer that, you know, each one of us has our own life's journey, and that there's real power in connecting people or uniting people behind, you know, a common mission, or common cause. And that's an emotional connection. And so, you know, you ask about this book by Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point. And, you know, I read that story, you know, back in a period where, as you recall, I think Microsoft, we were experiencing some of the lowest customer satisfaction scores we had ever seen as a company. And we had to take some action. So, for me, as I read that story, as I read the chapter on broken windows in that book, it inspired me. It said, you know, that this shared experience that we were having at Microsoft is a shared experience that others have had and here was a concept or here was an approach that could unite people behind a common mission, and actually inspire them. And so you know, from a leadership standpoint, I find the most impactful way to inspire others is through storytelling. And that story, I used as a way to tell the story that could help us all get on a different path. 

JP: And I've seen you being such a wonderful storyteller, Kevin, on many occasions. I mean, not just within Microsoft, but after, of course, your legacy at Microsoft. Now I'd like to come back to you personally, in terms of the way you take care of yourself. In my observation, it’s certainly my own learning curve as a leader and as an individual, as a dad and as someone involved in different circles is, wow, if we don't take care of ourselves, right, in terms of our energy, in terms of our sleep, in terms of the way we think strategically about the time allocated to what drives us, in terms of personal life, families, social, communities and work, guess what? People will not see you as a leader or necessarily inspiring them to get further. So how do you take care of yourself Kevin?

KEVIN JOHNSON: Well Jean-Philippe, I think you're right that, you know, many of these jobs you have to have stamina and it's both the taking care of yourself physically, as well as your mental wellbeing. You know, for me, I have a routine, you know, I do… every morning… I meditate twice a day. I happened to learn transcendental meditation two years ago. In fact, the story was, Ringo Starr, the drummer of The Beatles, he called me a year and a half ago at Starbucks before his birthday, and he wanted Starbucks to play a playlist of his songs on his birthday. And I said well, sure, Ringo, I'm happy to do that. And he invited me to his birthday party and at his birthday party, he introduced me to his transcendental meditation coach, who then taught me and my family transcendental. So I meditate for 20 minutes every morning, 20 minutes every afternoon. And that helps with sort of my mental wellbeing, sort of the neuroscience behind that. And then of course, you know, I, you know, I try and exercise at least four or five times a week. You know, I have a regular routine now in this global pandemic. I go for an hour and 15 minute – just a walk – with my wife in the morning. And the combination of meditation and some exercise is a good formula. 

JP: That’s fantastic. And it seems that you also enjoy, like me, taking a triple espresso. I’m just taking a double shot, but… You do that as well, right?

KEVIN JOHNSON: Well, that is my morning beverage… My morning beverage is a triple shot, Jean-Philippe… so yeah.

JP:  So building on that kind of self take care, right, Kevin, can you tell me, in the way that you wake up every morning, or, you know, every night somewhere in the world, obviously, these days more often at home than ever. What drives you? What drives you after so many years doing so many things, exhausting things as well? What really drives your deep motivation, deep inside you, to go and do things for Starbucks and other things you want to do in life?  

KEVIN JOHNSON:  Well, I was… you know, went through a significant inflection point in my life journey about eight years ago, nine years ago, when I was diagnosed with cancer. I was diagnosed with melanoma, and was still trying to do my job as CEO of Juniper Networks and deal with my health issues. And one day, I found myself at the airport, about to board a flight to Europe, and I had just cancelled my doctor's appointments for the week. And so I sat there and I asked myself, why, through my actions, would I prioritize a business trip over my health, my life, the people I love? And so I decided at that moment for the rest of my life, no matter how long or short it may be, that I want to do things that are joyful, with people I love. And to me, there's nothing more joyful than serving others, than helping others succeed, than bringing people together around a common mission and trying to do good in this world. And so that's what drives me and that, you know, and that’s what brought me to Starbucks. And, you know, certainly Starbucks is a very special kind of company. It's a company that has a purpose, a reason for being, that goes far beyond the pursuit of profit. And that's what attracted me to Starbucks. 

JP:  Thanks so much for sharing, again, a very personal journey, Kevin. I certainly can relate to that as well because I think all of us, all of you listeners, will have gone at some moments in their lives, through some tragic moments as well and where we can all learn hopefully, through the pain sometimes, how much wonderful should be life, every moment of our lives. And how much it is part of our intent. And you know, ends and you decide to shape it differently. So love your thoughts and what you did after you thought about it. 

Talking about something that people… and I think you've been defining yourself a lot, Kevin, as a servant leader. And of course, there's been a lot of literature about servant leadership, but tell me in your own words, what is what is a servant leader? What does he do? What do you do and what do your leaders do at Starbucks and other companies you've been working for?

KEVIN JOHNSON: Well, you know, I guess the simplest way to think about servant leadership is it is someone who prioritizes the needs of others over themselves. And, you know, I think, you know, in many ways, each one of us has our own life journey, each one of us has gone through the human experience and we all have our own fears and self-doubts. We all have our own aspirations. We've experienced joy. We've overcome adversity. We've all, you know, shared the human experience. And a servant leader, I believe, is someone who is grounded in the human experience and that prioritizes the needs of others over their own needs.

JP:  But how do you do that when sometimes again, in life, you’ve got to take care of your own needs as well? It's hard. It's not an easy task every day. 

KEVIN JOHNSON: No, it's not but I think at the end of the day, what I found, my experience has been the more that I give to others, the more they return to me. And so…

JP: They give it back to you. Yeah. 

KEVIN JOHNSON: They do and so servant leadership is something that I think has enabled me to live a more joyful life, because by focusing on how I can help others, whenever it's a time of need that I have, people come to help me. And that's okay, that's how it should be people helping other people. And that's part of human connection, it's part of how we experience joy. 

JP: I’ve certainly found the same, Kevin.  he more the more I'm able, and hopefully doing more of giving to others, the most I’m being given by others. And it's wonderful, it's fulfilling, I found in many different occasions of life. 

Now, I'd like to go back to what you said, because I'm a strong believer as well of true purpose in life, for people, individuals, but also for companies. Certainly, I think you're celebrating a special moment for Starbucks this year, right now, the 50th birthday of a very special company. And I think, you know, you call that a third place for people, humans. Can you tell us more about what does a true mission mean for your 400,000 partners, when they live that life every day and for your hundreds of millions of customers across the world, the way they experience that as well? 

KEVIN JOHNSON:  Well, Jean-Philippe, it is a special moment, celebrating the 50th anniversary since the founding of the Starbucks Coffee Company. And Starbucks started with one store in Pike Place Market in Seattle and now, over 33,000 stores around the world. And we work to create a warm, welcoming environment in each one of those stores for the customers that come to visit us. 

You know, the mission of Starbucks is one that there's an emotional connection to. And that mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit one person, one cup, one neighborhood at a time. And we do that over coffee. We create the Starbucks store with the café where people can come and feel a part of a community. They can come enjoy their favorite beverage with a friend or a colleague. Or sometimes they're just on their way, they'll pick up their double espresso on their way to work. And, you know, so that third place that's not your home and not your work, is a place of community. It's a place of human connection. And that is what has created the whole Starbucks experience. 

JP:  I think it's really wonderful to see it when you actually experience some of your stores. At least when, of course, when they are open. We'll get back to that and discuss more about what it means actually today. But tell me more about the way you’ve been bringing others to the mission, to live a mission every day. Because it's a special undertaking to bring on the road every single day, right, all those hundreds of thousands of people working for the customers? 

KEVIN JOHNSON:  Well, I think the most important thing in propagating culture, if you will, is through storytelling and rituals. And so, you know, I would say that the mission statement is something that Starbucks partners have an emotional connection to because in many ways, it's something that we all share in this world, the human experience. And that emotional connection to inspiring and nurturing the human spirit, it starts there. But the way it gets propagated is through storytelling and ritual. So the ritual would be before we start any meeting, we start the meeting with a coffee tasting. And that coffee tasting usually includes a personal story or some, you know, some reflection or some authenticity and what that coffee means. And we share the coffee. And it's through storytelling in a very authentic way that that culture is propagated. In many ways, the most important job in the company is the store manager. Because each one of those 33,000 stores is a store manager and 15 to 20 green apron partners, and that becomes the Starbucks family. And so if we support them and we create the environment for them to inspire others - that's how it unfolds.

JP: It really resonates a lot with me, Kevin. It reminds me also of a different type of store manager at Microsoft, that you remember.

KEVIN JOHNSON: Yes.

JP: And of course, much, much less than, in terms of numbers, the country managers – the people leading our subsidiaries in every country in the world. And I think you may remember some of the visits you did, and the people you met with and how critical it is that they really shape, embody the culture, the values, the real... and lead the mission of the company every day and lead by example. So I can relate to what you said exactly. One store at a time, one country at a time. 

KEVIN JOHNSON:  That's right, it's exact same scenario. And that country manager at Microsoft, they are the ones that create the culture and propagate the culture and create the emotional connection to the mission. And that's a big part of leadership. 

JP: So Kevin, clearly leadership has some great moments of emotional connections, inspirations, success stories, as well, but sometimes there are some tough times. And right now, the world is going through a very unprecedented time, obviously, which is hard on many, many of us, many of our listeners as well, families, communities. 

What is your reflection on this period of time? Because of course, as our friends in China would say, we don't want to waste the crisis to reinvent ourselves or see the opportunity. What is the opportunity you see for not just Starbucks, for sure, for your company to maybe do something different and reinvent, but if you were to invite other business leaders to think through that time, what would you share with them? 

KEVIN JOHNSON:  Well, Jean-Philippe, you know, this past year, all of humanity around the world has been united behind a common cause of figuring out how to mitigate and contain the spread of this virus, and how to navigate a global pandemic. And you know, that has created great hardship on families who've had to figure out how to work from home, school their children from home. It’s created scenarios where some people have lost their jobs and are struggling to even you know, have the money to shelter or buy food for their families.  

And so it's a reminder of how fragile humanity really is. And it's a reminder of the fact that we can all play a positive and constructive role in supporting one another. You know, you look at many of the social issues that countries around the world face. You know, I think we can no longer just assume that public sector elected officials are going to solve those social problems. As citizens, we need to get involved. Businesses need to get involved and provide, you know, some positive social impact in partnership with our public sector elected officials. But it's just a reminder that we are all part of humanity/ And we all have a responsibility when it comes to social issues, or, you know, the significant health issue that this global pandemic has presented for all of us. 

JP: I agree with you, Kevin. In many ways, what I’m also discussing with other business leaders, sometimes government heads in some of countries, is the way that society is reflecting on what I think one would call the common good, right, which are just the most critical things that all of us, all the people on earth, need. Like health, like critical, obviously, you know, logistics, food, beverages, and all those activities that define and help us living every single day of our life. So any reflection as well, maybe in terms of the Positive Leadership you see maybe emerging, and maybe, of course, I’m optimistic by nature as well. I want to see more coming both from business leaders, large and small enterprises, working alongside governments, NGOs, civil society, to share as well, I would say the work that needs to be done on those common goods.

KEVIN JOHNSON: Well, let me just give you one example. You take environmental sustainability. You look at climate, water and waste, and you look at the magnitude of the challenges that that our world faces. That's a problem that cannot be solved unless businesses get involved, unless citizens get involved, unless, you know, governments get involved. And I think we're starting to see more of that momentum. You know, I think, you know, the real question is, what is the role and responsibility of a publicly traded company? And I would argue that role and responsibility has to go far beyond the pursuit of profit, it has to go towards creating value for all stakeholders. And those stakeholders include the people that work for that company, the customers they serve, and the communities that they are a part of. And, you know, I oftentimes think, you know, certainly, I'll use the term you know, planet positive. You know, it's something that we coined at Starbucks that says, we want to give more than we take from the planet. And then we said so we want to be a planet positive company and we want to be a people positive company. A people positive company is one that, you know, we invest in the future of humanity. And yes, we're going to continue to be a profit positive company. And my view is those three things: people, planet and profit can work in harmony. And if you find the right balance, and I think more and more companies are embracing that, and you can call it stakeholder capitalism, but it is a capitalist mindset that says, no, it's got to go beyond capitalism, where capitalism is helping us solve some of these societal problems. 

JP: You know, I so deeply agree with you, Kevin, in the sense that those companies who are not establishing that balancing act between the three Ps you're mentioning, are going to see their customers defaulting and they are going to see their people defaulting as well. And we see some of that unfortunately in some of those companies. So I believe it's something that's just bound to happen - it's happening right now.

KEVIN JOHNSON: I agree.

JP: So Kevin, maybe shifting gears a little bit on your lives, because just like all of us, you've got family life, social life, professional life, and you try to make sense of all of that in every single day of your life. I know you've been deeply connected as well with some different communities, particularly where you decided to live for the last couple of decades, right? The beautiful Washington area, Puget Sound and Seattle, downtown, particularly with this beautiful store. Obviously, the first one at Pike Market, I've been to myself a number of times, I miss it by the way, I wish I can go back to it. And, you know, when you think about the work you've been doing, I understand with NGOs, like Youth East Side Services, which I think is all about really helping kids, families, who are struggling, and by education more. How do you see your role in a way and even your family, I understand, in that context?

KEVIN JOHNSON:  Well Jean-Philippe, I think each of us gets to make some decisions on where we want to give and where we want to serve outside of the professional lives that we have. And our family decided that we wanted to focus on youth and helping youth. And that's a combination of education, but it's also a combination of education plus investments in helping troubled youth. You know, there's so many young people that, you know, perhaps they're growing up in an abusive relationship within their household or are struggling with substance abuse at a young age, or are in a situation where they just need help, and they need a place to turn. And so our family has been, you know, deeply engaged with Youth East Side Services as one of the examples to the point, you know, we contribute money, but we also… our son, Michael has volunteered, he does work there, he's been, you know, serving Youth East Side Services. So I think getting involved in a cause that you believe in is a very powerful thing and it's a rewarding thing. And I think each person can make the decision of what priority do you want to pick? And how can you get involved in a way that brings you joy? 

JP:  I, again, agree with that, Kevin, I think it makes all of us better humans and better people too, because there's so much learning return we have in such experiences. So I love that engagement as well. 

Now, just to finish with a couple of very last questions, Kevin. One, in a way, is all about the connection between what I would call you, or anyone listening to this podcast’s, personal mission, personal vision of what they want to achieve in their life, and kind of the broader mission, vision of the company that they work for or the organization that they are helping with. How do you… I believe in that strong positive meaning, which is, if you can connect what's inside you in terms of the way you want to make sense of your life deeply, deep inside, with your strength, your passion – your love for a number of things where you want to have an impact – with the platform, which is the company you're working with, supporting with, leading with, whatever is your role, by the way, from the barista all the way to the CEO. There's a lot into that equation and that connection. Do you see the same and do you see the way you can help that connection between the person and the company and the mission and make it real?

KEVIN JOHNSON: Yeah, Jean Philippe, I think it's such a great point because I think the most powerful things in my life experiences have come where there's that alignment between the purpose of the company that I'm engaged with and working for, contributing to, and my own purpose and my own desires, and alignment with the values. So purpose and culture, they mean everything. And you know, throughout my life, I think you know, I think about where I am in my life journey right now. My purpose is pretty simple. I want to do things that are joyful with people I love. And that aligns perfectly with what Starbucks Coffee Company is all about – creating this third place experience. And the values of the company align with my own personal values, you know, creating a warm, welcoming environment, treating others with respect, doing good in this world, finding a way to leverage our platform for good. And because of that, Starbucks has been a gift in my life, at this point in my life. And, you know, when I was earlier in my career, and you know, you and I are working together at Microsoft. Microsoft, what a powerful mission that we were pursuing and how much energy that gave me and the great people that I had an opportunity to learn from and work with and contribute to. And so, you know, I think purpose and culture are so important and you get alignment with your own personal values and your own purpose and it's a powerful combination. And it's one that brings you joy, so much joy.  

JP:  Love it. And if I may, very last words from you, Kevin, if you were to really coach any one of our listeners, again, on this podcasts, including some Microsoft folks as well and others, in terms of their Positive Leadership journey, what would be the two or three things you would share with them, in terms of where they would like to spend time on, focus on, or do something different with their lives? 

KEVIN JOHNSON:  Well, I would sort of suggest three things, Jean-Philippe. I’d say, number one is, be passionate about what you're doing. And, you know, the more you put of your own energy into something, the more you're going to get in return. Number two is be a lifelong learner. Don't be afraid to push outside of your comfort zone. It’s by pushing outside of your comfort zone that you experience new things and that you learn and that you grow. And number three, would be always treat other people with respect and do what you can to help support them and help them be successful. Because the more you help others, the more they'll help you. Those would be my three things.  

JP:  That’s fantastic, Kevin. That resonates against so much given what I witnessed from you in action, and that's so true of yourself. So it's not like… It's real. It's the real Kevin. But if I may share with you also my main kind of key takeaways from the discussion, Kevin, about what you inspire me from this Positive Leadership, I think, three things. One is that deep, emotional human connection you’re building one person at a time. And you can add one coffee at a time, as to one person at a time. And one to one, which is wonderful, which has to be authentic and real. I think every story you shared as well about your professional, personal life, about purpose-led in terms of what you want to do with your life. And the way you want to connect that with whatever you get to do actually, your company’s mission and more and bring that to life. And the last one, which I love is joy, joy, joy. Be happy, and make others happy, because I think joy is contagious in a good way. That’s a good factor, I think, to bring many of those people along the road and the journey.

KEVIN JOHNSON:  Well Jean-Philippe, thank you so much. And, you know, Microsoft played such an important and impactful role in my life and I'm so grateful for Microsoft. I'm so grateful for you and all the colleagues that I had the privilege of working with at Microsoft. And it's just an honor to have a chance to reconnect with you. You and I are friends for life.  

JP:  Thank you so much, Kevin. It’s been a real pleasure. And again, I really look forward, as soon as I get my vaccines and the world is opening up, to get a double, triple espresso, either on the Pike Market or on the beautiful Opéra store you have as well in Paris. That's a nice place to go as well. 

KEVIN JOHNSON: Well, I'm going to come visit you in Paris, Jean-Philippe. I would look forward to that. 

JP:  Please do. I look forward to it, Kevin. Thanks a lot Kevin, again, and all the best. Be safe, be well with your family and all the people you love. Thanks so much, Kevin. 

KEVIN JOHNSON: Thank you.

JP: I hope you all enjoyed that conversation as much as I did. He was amazing, to hear his simple yet incredibly powerful mission – to do things that are joyful with the people he loves. This is exactly what I believe Positive Leadership should be. Not just about grand mission statements, but about finding what you believe in and letting it guide everything you do. Thank you again so much to you, Kevin. And to all of you for listening today. I look forward to meeting again for the next episode.