Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol says the worst advice he ever received was firing someone

In an extensive interview with wealth in May, while still at Chipotle, Niccol touched upon the experiences that have shaped him throughout his career. During the conversation, he shared the worst advice he’s ever received in his career: A manager, whom he didn’t name, encouraged him to make an example of someone.

“Their advice was, ‘hey, you have to prove you have the ability to fire someone,'” Niccol said. wealth. “So basically find someone in your line of work where you can say ‘yeah, that should be someone I need to get rid of.’

Niccol disagreed with that harsh tactic. “Thinking, ‘Hey, I’m going to find someone I have to make an example of that I’m tough enough to fire,’ I don’t think that was great advice.”

His remarks offer insight into his leadership style as he tries to turn around the fortunes of a struggling but iconic and beloved Starbucks brand after his abrupt turnaround.

In 2022, then-CEO Howard Schultz personally hand-picked Laxman Narasimhan as his successor. But last May, Schultz appeared to encourage Narasimhan in an open letter to the company, urging it to revamp its stores after a big earnings miss. By August, under pressure from investors, Starbucks’ board decided to oust Narasimhan and appoint Niccol.

“We are pleased to welcome Brian Niccol to Starbucks as our President and CEO,” the company said in a statement to wealth. “He has proven to be a transformational leader and is the right person to lead Starbucks forward. Brian has a deep understanding of brands, operations and innovation and has a lasting commitment to supporting the retail teams that serve customers in-store. We look forward to the fresh ideas that Brian will bring to our business.”

Niccol, who first reached the C-suite at the age of 33, enters his new job with a reputation for turning around struggling companies and valuable management knowledge for a career.

Reflecting on poor advice he’s received in the past, Niccol said he’s also unimpressed by his former boss who told him to find someone to fire. That person was “a manager who, frankly, turned out not to be a great manager,” he said.

The main excuse Niccol has for recommending that person is that he prioritized disciplining employees rather than training them.

“That’s just the wrong frame of reference,” Niccol said. “The framework should be ‘what will it take for this individual to succeed?’ Why will we need it to succeed?’ without spending all your time trying to figure out where their opportunities and flaws are.”

For Niccol, this had a much too negative approach for a work environment. Instead, he preferred to see the best in his employees. “Everyone comes to work wanting to succeed,” he said.

All that being said, Niccol did not shy away from a culture of performance. This being corporate America, executives and managers are expected to deliver. And if they can’t, there are consequences. “Obviously, if they can’t perform, then you have to act,” Niccol said.

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