'You Absolutely Have to Believe...': Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol Shares His Career Advice

Brian Niccol shared that he uses a “beat-up notebook” to track his progress toward career goals, advising others to find ways to stay focused

Brian Niccol attributes much of his success to a simple yet powerful piece of career advice he embraced early in his professional journey: "Believe in yourself".

Source : Brian Niccol/ LinkedIn

Starbucks has named Brian Niccol, a seasoned executive, as its new CEO, with industry insiders calling him a "dream hire" and a "hall of fame restaurant CEO". Despite the accolades, Niccol, 50, attributes much of his success to a simple yet powerful piece of career advice he embraced early in his professional journey: "Believe in yourself".

Speaking at a May 2024 commencement ceremony at Miami University in Oxford, Niccol reflected on the importance of self-confidence and perseverance. "You have to believe in yourself and have the grit to not give up, especially when things aren’t going your way," he told graduates.

Niccol shared that he uses a “beat-up notebook” to track his progress toward career goals, advising others to find ways to stay focused. “Whatever it is you need to do to keep yourself focused on your goal, do it, and believe you can do it,” he urged.

In an interview with CNBC Make It, Niccol highlighted the importance of trusting one’s instincts. “There will be times in your career when your gut will be tingling,” he said. “Make space for that instinctive intelligence and take action. Trust your instincts.”

Former Starbucks chair Mellody Hobson, who handed the reins of the company over to Niccol, shared insight into why he was the standout candidate for the CEO role. Hobson revealed that Niccol's confidence, embodied in a five-word phrase — "I know what to do" — convinced the board that he was the right leader for the company.

“He said, ‘This is a speed bump in this company’s history. This is not something that I fear going into,’ and that was something for our board that was extremely encouraging,” Hobson told CNBC.

Niccol’s leadership, grounded in confidence and vision, is expected to steer Starbucks through its next phase of growth and innovation.