No clouds in his coffee: an interview with keynote Howard Behar, former president, Starbucks.

• Author: Ruesch, Grant

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Howard Behar, former president of Starbucks and keynote speaker at the 2010 Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference. I had been told by those who know him that Howard is an interesting, engaging and great guy, and they were right. After just a few minutes with him, I realized this wasn't going to be an interview at all; rather, it was a discussion with a person who felt like a friend. Howard was an engaged listener, interactive in his responses and able to communicate his ideas in simple ways. Let me share some of his insights. You won't want to miss his address at the conference.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

About entrepreneurial startups: In some ways it is as if by magic; people with dreams and passions don't think about all the ways they could possibly fail. They simply put their heads down like the Boston cab driver and persist. They are absolutely fearless. When the founders first come together and find a way to prevail, it is not required that they put their egos aside. But they must find a way to meld their temperaments and manage their egos for the greater good of what they are building together.

About managing through tough times: It is important to always understand the reality of what is happening in the overall business climate. If we are in the middle of a hurricane but don't realize that it is a hurricane, then we tend to blame the skipper or the first mate for all the bad stuff that is happening. If you've expanded operations too quickly and you get caught in a general economic downdraft, then you can't allow yourselves to go into denial mode. You've got to react decisively and quickly. It is not about feeling guilty. It is about making the hard calls on what needs to be done.

About managing people: People are not corporate assets; they are people. We don't serve customers; we serve people. Whether you are managing a startup or an ongoing enterprise inside of a conglomerate, it doesn't matter; you must treat...