"Belief is so important to me, and belief for me, the reason it’s my most important strength, is that it’s rooted in hope. And I believe that everyone can have hope. The most important thing is that we instill hope in each other.” Joe Robert Thornton, CEO of Scooter's Coffee, joined Jon Clifton CEO of Gallup, on the Leading with Strengths Podcast to talk about leadership and cutting through red tape, fueling the growth of a brand, and making disciplined choices to guide strategy. Watch the full episode of Leading with Strengths here or listen wherever you get your podcasts. https://lnkd.in/ggvWqbyH
Unit economics can tell you whether a business should work, but they cannot tell you whether a human being will take the risk to start one. The gap between the financial model and the moment of commitment is where the real friction lives. When Joe Thornton looks at the growth of Scooter's Coffee, he sees beyond the store count. He knows every new location begins not with a lease, but with a kitchen-table decision - where a family studies a strong P&L and still has to find the nerve to put their savings behind it. This is where his No. 1 strength, Belief, becomes a strategic asset. Joe knows data satisfies the mind, but it doesn’t move the heart. To get a franchise partner to sign, he has to provide the one resource no spreadsheet can produce: hope. He sees his role not just as running a brand, but as stewarding that moment of decision. In the emotional economy, Belief isn’t a soft skill. It’s hard currency. Check out my recent conversation with Joe - where he talks about the role hope plays in scaling a thousand-store business: https://lnkd.in/eTuQEHg6