Starbucks founder Howard Schultz recently recalled a meeting with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, where the latter screamed in his face to suggest firing his whole leadership team—a decision proved right later.
According to a report by ToI, in an episode of the podcast ‘Acquired’, Schultz revealed that in 2008 there was a meeting scheduled for Starbucks and Apple around mobile phones and a few other things.
By 2008, Starbucks had grown massively but was facing a crisis.
Reportedly, Jobs invited Schultz to the Apple Campus and the two were taking a walk and discussing.
According to the report, during the walk, Schultz opened up on various challenges. Jobs listened and gave unexpected advice, “You go back to Seattle and you fire everyone on your leadership team.”
Starbucks’ headquarters is located in Seattle, Washington, USA.
Understandably, Schultz was hesitant. Firing everyone seemed extreme and potentially risky. Jobs, however, was adamant. He even predicted that most wouldn’t last a year anyway.
Jobs ‘screamed’ at Schultz saying, “Fire all those people, that’s what I would do.”
“I promise you, in six months, maybe nine, they’ll all be gone,” Jobs added after Schultz resisted and wondered how the company would function without its leadership team.
Schultz acknowledges that Jobs was right. Most of the leadership team was replaced within a short period, and Starbucks went through a significant renewal process.
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