In the course of the year I spent trying to raise money, I spoke to 242 people, and 217 of them said “no. - Howard Schultz

Whether you are Republican or Democrat or independent or Libertarian, it doesn’t matter,” I said. “I think we all have a sense that there’s something not quite right [in the country], that we’re drifting toward mediocrity.

Starbucks is in every state. Whether people like the company or not, we are an undeniable presence in communities, on the ground across America. I always tried to spend as much time as I could on that ground and in our stores, talking to partners and customers — and listening more than I spoke. Among the things I’ve learned is that the cliché is true: most people do share the same desires — to be valued, to be understood, to be loved, to have a chance to go after our dreams, however humble or audacious those dreams may be. Beyond that, I’ve come to believe that the majority of people have potential that is easy to overlook, but that when tapped is boundless. Most people I have met in America want to be in control of their own fate. They just need a chance.

Large or small, our actions forge our futures, hopefully inspiring others along the way.

Entrepreneurs must love what they do to such a degree that doing it is worth sacrifice and, at times, pain. But doing anything else, we think, would be unimaginable.

In times of adversity and change, we really discover who we are and what we’re made of.

Effective leaders share two intertwined attributes: an unbridled level of confidence about where their organizations are headed, and the ability to bring people along.

Fixing moments, like mopping a dirty floor, only provides short-term satisfaction. But take the time to understand the cause of the problem — like how to keep a floor from getting so dirty in the first place — solves, and maybe eliminates, a problem.

How leaders embody the values they espouse sets a tone, an expectation, that guides their employees’ behaviors.

While I would not want to constantly battle against the odds, the raw feeling of accomplishing something that others did not think possible, or leading people beyond where they thought they could go, is extremely gratifying.