Leadership Styles and Strategies: A Case Study of Starbucks

This report analyzes the leadership styles and strategies used by Starbucks, focusing on the case study of CEO Kevin Johnson. It discusses the benefits of different leadership styles, the contribution of leaders to the company's vision and mission, and the role of stakeholders in executing the mission and vision. It also explores leadership strategies for maximizing business efficiency and motivation theories within an organizational context. The report concludes with an evaluation of Kevin Johnson's leadership style and the ethical challenges faced by Starbucks.

Leading Business
Organisations
Student Guidelines

INTRODUCTION
Leaders is skill of any individual who lead and motivate their team members to achieve
their group goals (Alvesson, Blom and Sveningsson., 2017). There are different styles and
theories which defines leadership qualities and how they lead their team members to achieve
their objectives and aims.
This report will analogize case study of Starbucks which is American coffee company,
and they are operating their coffee shops in worldwide. This report will cover two part and in the
part 1 this report will analyze understanding of leadership theories and styles and benefits for
company. It will analyze contribution of the leaders and mangers to create vision and mission for
the company. In the end of this part, report will explain leadership strategies and conclude
change management.
PART 1
Systematic knowledge of leadership concepts and their benefits to organization
A.
Two key question leaders should ask themselves is what hind of leaders I am and how
which leadership style I am using to motivate my Team members and if I am using then it is
effective (Antonakis and Day., 2017). This two question they should ask themselves, so they can
understand they are leading their team properly or not , if they are not then they can bring change
in themselves and improve their leadership.
B.
There are two key aspects of the leaders are vision and encouraging other team members
to achieve objectives. Leaders have to lead their team members according to the vision of the
company, and he should encourage their team members to help him to achieve objectives of the
company (Barr and Dowding., 2019). This is important for leaders to motivate them because
leaders work is to motivate other to achieve goals.
C.
There are many leadership styles, but we have to decide which leadership style we should
use to motivate and achieve goals. I personally recommend democratic leadership style in this
style every employee take part in the decision-making process and share their opinions. This also
create good communication flow in the workplace and also help to create good relationship
between leaders and members.

D.
In my opinion there are two various leadership style which is suitable for the VUCA
environment, situational leadership style in which leaders lead their team members according to
the situation in the workplace they change their leadership in different situations and other is
coach style leadership style in which leaders react like a coach and other members listen to
them.
E.
It is essential for the leaders to know about leadership style because they leaders whole
team in the organization, and they are responsible to achieve objective sand goals by motivating
their team members (Bolman and Deal., 2017). This leadership style help them to them how they
can solve from in they organization how they can leaders and motivate others to achieve
objectives and goals of the company.
Knowledge to measure the share which single, leaders and stakeholders make in creating and
execution the mission and vision
A.
Mission statement of any company define their business and their objectives and their
approaches to reach those objectives effectively (Buzo., 2018). This statement totally focus on
the future opportunities and what they want to become In the future. Vision statement are often
combined to provide the proper statement of the purpose of the company, goals and values.
B.
According to opinion every single person in the organization have same contribution to
execute companies mission and vision (Ciulla., 2017). Superiors of the company motivate,
guide , lead and provide proper information and employees help company to achieve their
business objectives and goals of the business, so they have equal contribution.
C.
Leaders of the company have most impotent role in the company to executing their
mission and vision. They motivate and lead employees of the company and make proper aim to
achieve the companies objectives, without leaders of the company business cannot be successful
to execute their mission and vision.
D.

In my opinion every stockholder have their equal role to executing the mission and
vision. A company can be successful if their stockholders are skills full, and they have potential
to help company in achieving their business goals and executing the vision and mission of the
company, even customers have important role.
E.
In every organization leaders take the decisions for the company and give contribution in
almost every activity of the company and without them company cannot use their resources
properly, so they have huge contribution the companies mission and vision.
Leadership strategies in orders maximizing efficiency of the business
A.
leaders f the company make strategies for the company and according to that strategies
they6 set aim and objectives for the group members and leaders lead them to achieve those aims
to their team (Conger., 2015).
B.
According to my opinion this is an knowledge to motivate and determinant others with
their own vision, drive and individual support. To approach the company resources to make a
solid level for the change in the workplace. Leadership is often a viewed as key to the successful
changes.
C.
Organizational potential is the efficiency of the company nit shows that how the
company is in the achieving the outcomes the company trends to produce . It how much they are
efferent to produce product in their workplace. This can be measure in units per day.
D.
A business discourse is the context which is specialist wordbook is the employees for
the company. Leadership also a part of the business context and employees as well because they
work for the company and help company to be a successful in the business, and they can achieve
theri8r goals and objectives.
E.
Personal development means implementing some skills in ourselves, there are some
skills need to developed our leadership ability. We have to mange our time because every

effective leaders understand importance of the time and how time management can help to
complete any task proper (Ginnett., 2017).
Motivation theory within specific organizational context
A.
Motivational theories are used by the superiors of the company to motivate their
employees, so they can increase their confidence and bring motivation the employees.
B.
There are two categorize of the motivational theory, content theory which include
Maslow's motivational theory, Heisenberg's motivational theory, and the other is process theory
which includes- Victor vroom's.
C.
Employees motivate when they get reward and feedback from the superiors of the
company this motivates them and increase their performance.
D.
It is a change management approach which help company to identify that what is working
well in the workplace and analyze why it is working well, so they can improve more.
E.
In my opinion they should use this motivation theory because employees play impotent
role in the organization if they are not motivated then they cannot be able to achieve objectives
of the business.
Potential leadership style
A.
I have potential to handle my stress in the workplace (Hristov and Ramkissoon., 2016),
this is my skill when people have to much work and less time than they start taking stress in
there personal life as well but when I get in this situation I take proper sleep and mange my time
this help me to stay cool and made me handle my work.
B.
In this leadership style self-confidence is our strength. According to There is no
one who can motivate us in our personal life. We have to motivate ourselves to do any work and
if we can control our mind then we can achieve out life goals and objectives.
C.

Challenges I have faced when I am doing any work and it is not going according to the
plan. This is challenging for me to find what is wrong in the plan and how can I make it fix again
and remove those barriers.
D.
I have to develop some leadership skills which can help me to achieve my life goals like
how can I motivate others and I want to implement self learning skills. If I am doing anything
wrong then I want to learn from those mistake, so I can improve and I will not repeat it again.
PART 2
Introduction
This report is based on the case study of Starbucks and focus on the leadership styles of
these companies leaders. Kevin is an CEO of this company, and he was using democratic
leadership style, and he serves for this company (Khalifa Gooden and Davis., 2016). Leader of
this company was responsible for the growth, and he is leaders all the employees of this
company. Johnson's work with the Microsoft company for the more than 16 teen years and there
also he was working as an CEO. He was also appointed for the national security
Telecommunication advisor where he was serving for the American president Barack Obama, it
was big achievement for him to serve on of the best present of the USA. He was an board
members of the Npower. It is a company which provides nonprofit with the accession to the
technology and ability which is needful to fulfill the cultural missions.
Johnson join Starbucks in 2009 and that time company was suffering from the losses
but in 2017 company appointed him as a chief executive and currently he is leading all the
international activities of the company (Komives., 2016), we can say that he is a leader all the
employees of the Starbucks company whether we talk about local or international.
This case study also include business strategy and Johnson have make many strategies
for this company and help them to achieve their objectives and goals. In 216 company was
missing their targets, and they were just growing by the 5 percent In United states. This was
because of new and existing competitors, But Johnson wok on it and fix it. He was also
working to improve the customers services and Johnson was pausing this firm to develop more
advanced, and they were also thinking to grow their business in the china market.
A summary of the servant leadership style and the situation associate with VUCA environment
Servant leadership style

Servant leadership style is approach in which leaders interact with the other employees.
This leadership began with the normal and natural feelings in which leaders of the company want
to serve for their company. This kind of leaders are different from the other leaders because they
just want to serve and make their company better (Macdonald, Burke and Stewart., 2018). There
are two types of the servant leaders, servant first or leaders first between them are shading s and
blending which are part of the uncountable varieties of the nature of the human.
CEO of the Starbucks Mr. Kevin Jonson was also using this leadership style and it was
natural, and they serve for the large organization and even president of USA as well. Kevin
Jonson give their priority to the succession of the Starbucks company and growth of the
company. He is behind the success of this company and help this company to become one of the
best coffee company in the world, he had achieved many achievements and most of the people
are inspired by Kevin Jonson.
Example of Servant leadership style
Marriott international is good example of this leadership approach.. Founder of this
company Bill Marriott has always emphasized a cultural service to the workers of the company
and other customers of the company as well. His emphasis is one the Spirit to serve is what the
help multinational company to move to the higher growth. They are responsible to make this
company best and expansion of this Hotel on the international level. They make proper strategy
and hep this company to achieve higher growth (Robertson., 2016). Currently this company is
having more than 65000 stores in all over the world and 176000 workers are working in the
company. It is leaders all the location of this hotels and making this hotel of the best hotel in the
world.
Challenges of practicing Servant leadership style in VUCA environment
This thought was innovate in the 90's by the Army war educational institution to mention the
international world which was emaged after the end of cold action and it was specialized with
the more violent. In the context of the business this method was taken after the international
financial crisis in 2008-9
Volatility
A brutal increased in the 4 different dimension of the changes that can be faced by the
leaders are Volume, scales, types and speed (Rosenbach., 2018). They have to understand this
all element and this can effect on the servant leadership style.

Uncertainty
Future events cannot be predictable and this can effect the servant leadership practices.
They can only imagine and according to that they can make strategies. This can affect on this
leadership because leaders does not kno9w what can happen in the future.
Complexity
Widespread confusion, without any clear connection effect and it is already affecting all
the organization.
Ambiguity
There is to much lack of the precision and there are multiple meaning within the
environmental condition around us.
Evaluate leadership style of the Starbucks CEO Mr. Kevin also explain the ethical challenges
and view expressed by CEO
Kevin Jonson was using this leadership style because, In the 13 Th April 2018 one of
the stores of this company y in Philadelphia, one incident happen in the stores 2 back man was
standing and waiting for their friend. Staff members of the Starbucks call police because they
feel something wrong and, and they did not order food. As an result police arrest them and
police take them for the 8 hours of the custody (Shamir, Arthur and House., 2018). This new
went viral and news challenges shows that they are discriminating with their customers. After
this indecent company's reputation faff down but CEO of the company come forward and
apologize his mistake, and they the interviewer that they will train their whole employees and
make them learn to serve to the customers. This shows that he is using se servant leadership
style, and he takes all the mistake on his own head and promise to the public not to repeat this
same mistake again.
Positive Element of Kevin Jonson leadership style.
Kevin Jonson come in front of talk with the media and newspapers and apologize his
mistake this show how effective this leadership style. Leader of the Starbucks give all the
answer in they interview and show why he is one of the best leader. Here are some positive
element of this leadership style.
Discussion are based on the profit of all- Instead of having corporate decisions made in the
way which provide profit to the leadership team, this leadership style includes the whole
company and all the employees of the company in the decision making (Sosik and Jung., 2018).

A decision should be made in the best interest of everyone working for the company. This help
company to make better relation and help company to grow more
It encourages empathy
in this kind of environment leaders take decision they look at the situations in the shoes
of the others, which allow leaders of the company to refuse the request it will not give benefits
in some purpose.
People grow in a servant leadership style environment
this kind of the environment encourage other employees to work in a group for the
profit. This also creates the diversity withing the workplace of organization
It serves the customers
When the leaders of the company serves to the company for their own needs, the
customers of the company wins to, and they also get benefits.
Negative effects of servant leadership
 One of the first disadvantages is servant leadership required change their attitude, so they
can work successfully.
 Not every person like servant leadership environment so it can effect on the employees of
the company.
 Most of the people deny implementing this leadership style there are very few people
who use this leadership style.
View of Stakeholders of the Starbucks
Most of the employee's in the company was happy with the Kevin Jonson leadership
because according to them it was very good environment for them to work, and they were
making this company better. Mostly they were caring bout the young people and 70 percent of
the employees are students in this company, and they can also work as a part-time job. Key
stakeholders such as customers are happy, and they are having choices for the drinking different
flavor coffees, and they can enjoy their meals. Investors getting good outcome for investing in
this company, and they are one of the famous and well organized company because of the Kevin
Jonson leadership styles. Company is in profit so there is no ought that owners also happy with
Kevin Jonson leadership style.

Why does Kevin Jonson have strong personal brand as an effective global leader
In my opinion he is the main success behind the Starbucks because in his leadership
company over come from the losses before he become the CEO of the company companies who
suffering thorough the losses in the United Stares by 5 percent and after he companies to the
company he helps this company to over come from the losses and this company become one of
the best coffee selling company in the world and Kevin Jonson also play impotent role in the
expansion of this company on the global level before this company was selling their product on
the local US level but after Kevin Jonson become the CEO of the company this company
expand their business in the global level effectively. Recent company is worlds the best coffee
selling company and this is all because of the Kevin Jonson. We can also see is ability from their
services. Kevin Jonson have served for the USA president and many companies (Uhl-Bien and
Arena., 2017). Kevin Jonson believes that employees are the important for the success in the
business, and he treated each and every worker equally.
IN the interview also he come in front and realize their mistake this shows why world
call him global leader. He apologizes his mistake event there is whole mistake of the employees
then also he apologized and give the statement that he will give training to the employees in
every location of the Starbucks and say it is impotent because they need to understand that
customers are own first priority, and we cannot discriminate them on the basis of colors and their
realign. Mostly he was focusing on the employees mistake and understand that employees need
training to respect the customers. He also sad that they will not going to repeat this mistake again
and each and very customers are equal for us.
Recommendation
I world like to recommend Kevin Jonson that he should use democratic style because it
is impenitent for them to make their employees more capable by giving them higher
responsibility and give them a chance take participation in the companies decision-making
(Western., 2019). It will help this company to achieve the objectives and goals of the business
and it will also affect the Kevin Jonson leadership and it will be more effective on the
employees. There are many employees who are not happy with the Kevin Jonson leadership
style. I think democratic leadership style can help in this situation, and they can create good
environment for work, and they will also understand each other cutlers and it will affect the the
business, and they can bring their respect back.

Kevin Jonson is focusing on the employee's equality, but he does not give them proper
training and understanding of the customers, so he should provide training to the employees, so
they can inverse their skills and potential to work for the company (Zacher and Rosing., 2015).
Training can also improve their task efficiency, and they can do better in the task. Group work
can also effect the employees because in the group work they can do any task in less time and it
will also increase the flow of the communication in organization. This can help to make better
relationship with the employees and all the employees will work together, and they will help to
complete task for each other. Kevin Jonson just this management practices in their workplace
and if will affect on their organization, and they can achieve high growth.
Conclusion
From the above report it would be concluded that the Starbucks is running because the
kelvin johnson has joined the company and them the company has tried to achieve the success
and survive in market. Company was facing the financial problems and also company was not
able to expand their business in other countries. So kelvin Johnson has stated investing in the
employee sand make the employees satisfied by the way of the guiding the employee by the way
of servant leadership style. These have motivated the employees and Johnson was concentrating
on the employees problems and issues, so then he tried it to solve the problems of employees in
the easy way.

REFERANCES
Books and journal

Sosik, J. J. and Jung, D., 2018. Full range leadership development: Pathways for people, profit,
and planet. Routledge.

Uhl-Bien, M. and Arena, M., 2017. Complexity leadership: Enabling people and organizations
for adaptability. Organizational Dynamics.
Western, S., 2019. Leadership: A critical text. SAGE Publications Limited.
Zacher, H. and Rosing, K., 2015. Ambidextrous leadership and team innovation. Leadership &
Organization Development Journal.36(1). pp.54-68.