As this marks my first blog of 2026, I’d like to begin with a moment of reflection and extend my New Year wishes to you and your family. May the year ahead bring good health, inner peace, and lasting prosperity.

As the year begins, let us pause—not to plan, but to reflect—and take a Core Value audit of ourselves, asking with sincerity whether our actions still honor the values we speak about.

Starbucks and the Day the Coffee Stopped

In 2008, Starbucks was in trouble.

Rapid expansion had diluted quality.
Customers complained that coffee tasted burnt.
Stores felt transactional.
Wall Street demanded cost cuts.

CEO Howard Schultz made a decision that shocked investors.

Schultz ordered every Starbucks store in the United States to shut down for half a day.

Not for a holiday.
Not for a marketing stunt.

For re-training Startbucks Team on how to make coffee properly.

This meant:

• Millions in lost revenue in a single day
• Angry shareholders
• Public admission that the company had lost its way

The narrative unfolds in two parts:

Core Values:-

• Transparency
• Courage to accept Failure
• Integrity & Honesty

Walk the Talk :-

Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz taking the risk himself.

Taking decision to Closed all 7,100+ U.S. stores for half a day to retrain 115,000 employees on making espresso and reconnect with the brand’s roots.

Why This Was Real Risk

If the move failed:

• Investors could force leadership changes
• Employees could lose confidence
• Customers could see weakness, not renewal

Schultz tied his credibility, leadership, and the company’s future to one value:

Walk the Talk – First step towards Inner Compass

• Courage: admitting failure publicly
• Integrity: fixing the root cause, not the headline
• Honesty: saying “we were wrong” without excuses
• Trust: earned when leaders absorb the cost first.
  
• The Outcome
  • Coffee quality improved measurably
  • Employee pride returned
  • Customer trust followed
  • Starbucks rebuilt itself into a stronger, more disciplined brand
  • The crisis didn’t disappear—but the culture reset.

Bringing it all Together

• Values without personal exposure inspire nothing
• There is no hero culture—only ownership.
• All action guided to deliver maximum value
• Strategy earns respect; shared risk earns commitment
  

As we enter the New year, may our inner compass, grounded in core values, guide our actions and decisions.