You only have to encounter the spirit of Ubuntu once, and it will mark a different viewpoint of life from there on.
In the case of Starbucks founder, Howard Schultz, he found the true meaning of this word when he came to South Africa for the first time in his life to open two stores last year.
He sat around a table with 50 new staff before the first opening and listened to their stories. And then he heard it from them, and it struck a deep chord.
“In unison, they said, Howard, ubuntu means I am because of you. I am because of you.”
He realised that he and his partners had built Starbucks from the ground up with some basic fundamentals of “Ubuntu” in mind, and that is what gave them the longevity to build a very strong brand with intrinsic valued staff.
He recently revealed this in his Commencement Speech for Arizona State University (ASU), and truly inspired the class of 2018 too.
Go and read his full message here, or rather visit Africa to see this in action. In person … Up close!
Image courtesy of SA Good News