Growth, we now know all too well, is not a strategy. It is a tactic. And when undisciplined growth became a strategy for Starbucks, we lost our way. But no longer are we growing the company the way we did in the past.

“We were spending so much of our time fixing moments, but not actually solving problems. But 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 for the

Exploring an imperfect idea can often lead to a better one, and Stephen's original vision led us to ask some important questions about how Starbucks might connect even more deeply with customers in the digital space, especially given the unique power and incomparable reach of our in-store wireless networks.

I've never bought into the notion that there is a single recipe for successful leadership. But I do think effective leaders share two intertwined attributes: an unbridled level of confidence about where their organizations are headed, and the ability to bring people along.

Yes, opportunities to transform Starbucks for profitable, sustainable growth existed everywhere, but no single move, no product, no promotion, and no individual would save the company.

As I stared at the list of 600, a lesson resonated: Success is not sustainable if it's defined by how big you become. Large numbers that once captivated me—40,000 stores!—are not what matter. The only number that matters is “one.” One cup. One customer. One partner. One experience at a time.

Some corporations are built, or rebuilt, on data-driven business plans and hired guns with formulaic strategies. They may succeed, but they lack soul.

“The cost of losing your core customers and trying to get them back during a down economy will be much greater than the cost of investing in them and trying to keep them.”

But one of the most important pieces of advice I'd heard upon my return came from a dear Seattle friend and one of the country's best retail executives, Jim Sinegal, the cofounder and CEO of Costco Wholesale Corporation. “Protect and preserve your core customers,” he told our marketing team when I invited him to speak to us.