What Type Of Person Thrives In A Large Company According To A Senior Vice President At Starbucks
Michael, a Senior Vice President at Starbucks, highlights the importance of "passion" and a "hardworking and creative problem-solving" approach for success in corporate America, particularly noting a shift towards younger professionals being "passion driven around the mission of a company." For in-house lawyers, a blend of detail-orientation, strong analytical skills, and a broad understanding of business including "finance and accounting" are crucial for providing impactful advice, going beyond the purely legal aspects.
Ambitious, Driven, Passionate, Hardworking, Problem-solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Michael Fink
Senior Vice President
Starbucks Corporation
University of California Berkeley
Harvard Law School JD
Economics
Food, Beverages & Alcohol, Law
Legal
International Student, Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. Ambition and passion are key drivers for success in corporate America, especially for younger professionals who are often mission-driven. This contrasts with older generations where ambition might have been more focused on financial gains.
2. Hard work, creativity, and problem-solving skills are crucial attributes for thriving in corporate roles. Lawyers, in particular, need detail-orientation, the ability to speak up to authority, and strong analytical skills.
3. For transactional lawyers, a passion for business, and not just law, is vital. Understanding finance, accounting, and the political landscape enhances their ability to provide effective and impactful advice, increasing the likelihood that their counsel will be heeded.
Transcript
How would you describe someone who typically thrives in this industry?
I'm going to take two quick angles on this. First, I'll talk a little about the industry of being in-house in a large company, and then specifically about lawyers in various legal roles.
On the first point, I would describe people in corporate life as ambitious and pretty driven. This isn't always necessarily just for money.
I think what I've seen with younger people, like my daughter who's in corporate America, and just people I've worked with and led, is that those 35 and under are more passion-driven around the mission of a company. People my age, that was there, but it wasn't as central or as strongly driven.
This passion is helpful because if you feel passionate about what the business is doing, you'll throw yourself into it more. You'll succeed more, be more positive, and people like being around positive people who contribute. I think these are some of the main attributes.
Being hardworking, creative, and a problem-solver in many of these roles is also a characteristic that a lot of people have. For lawyers in particular, I think most would be detail-oriented and not scared to speak to authority. They'd have very good analytical skills and be able to quickly grasp the big picture.
They should also be able to come up with a path forward and articulate it clearly. I would say those are some of the biggest skill sets.
For a transactional lawyer, a litigation lawyer is a whole different ball of wax. I didn't do that and never wanted to. I've managed litigation, but the skill set for that is very different.
For a transactional lawyer in business, having a passion for the business itself, not just the legal aspects, is important. Taking a bit more risk and learning things like finance and accounting allows you to truly understand the broad implications.
When giving advice to a company, there's often the legal piece, but there's also politics, both internal and external, and financial considerations. The more you understand about all of these issues, the better and more impactful your advice will be, and the more likely people will listen.
For example, understanding external politics like what's happening in a city or how a new zoning law might affect things is helpful. Similarly, if it's a financial decision, being able to read a financial statement and balance sheet is important. The more accounting and finance someone understands, the more involved they can be and the better advice they can give.