--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A great business has to have a…" description: "\"A great business has to have a conscience. You have to know who you are and who you are not.\" — Howard Schultz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/howard-schultz-1317_business_a-great-business-has-to-have-a-conscienc_806109.png" --- # A great business has to have a conscience. You have to… ![“A great business has to have a conscience. You have to know who you are and who you are not.” quote by Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/howard-schultz-1317_business_a-great-business-has-to-have-a-conscienc_806109.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/howard-schultz-1317_business_a-great-business-has-to-have-a-conscienc_806109.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/howard-schultz-1317_business_a-great-business-has-to-have-a-conscienc_806109.png) > “A great business has to have a conscience. You have to know who you are and who you are not.” [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A business must align profit with ethical purpose and self‑knowledge. **In simple terms:** Business needs conscience and identity. Key Takeaway Define values and stay true. Themes ethics identity leadership Mood thoughtful determined Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - product development - marketing strategy - employee training - community outreach Key Concepts corporate responsibility brand authenticity stakeholder trust Questions to Reflect On - What core values guide your decisions? - How can profit be measured beyond dollars? A Different Perspective Balancing profit and conscience can be financially challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) ## Related quotes > [A business must have a conscience as well as a counting house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/montague-burton/a-business-must-have-a-conscience-as-well-as-a-counting-house/) Montague Burton > [Guard yourself and your conscience no one else will and know that a bad decision at the right time can destroy you far more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-clavell/guard-yourself-and-your-conscience-no-one-else-will-and-know-that-a/) [James Clavell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-clavell/) > [Awareness is bad for the meat business. Conscience is bad for the meat business. Sensitivity to life is bad for the meat business. DENIAL,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-robbins/awareness-is-bad-for-the-meat-business-conscience-is-bad-for-the-meat/) [John Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-robbins/) > [“Doesn't it bother your conscience to know that thousands of trees give up their lives just to keep you in reading matter that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-brown/doesn-t-it-bother-your-conscience-to-know-that-thousands-of-trees/) [Sandra Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-brown/) > [To know God, know your heart (conscience). After you know your heart, you will learn to see God in all things. Truth can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/to-know-god-know-your-heart-conscience-after-you-know-your-heart-you/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [“I would sooner have the approval of my own conscience and know that I had done my duty than to have the praise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heber-j-grant/i-would-sooner-have-the-approval-of-my-own-conscience-and-know-that-i/) [Heber J. Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heber-j-grant/) > [The reason I want to explain that you're probably never going to get revenge a sociopath and you're also probably not going to redeem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-stout/the-reason-i-want-to-explain-that-you-re-probably-never-going-to-get/) [Martha Stout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-stout/) > [I think the currency of leadership is transparency. You've got to be truthful. I don't think you should be vulnerable every day, but there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/i-think-the-currency-of-leadership-is-transparency-you-ve-got-to-be/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [Character is the result of hundreds and hundreds of choices you make that gradually turn who you are, at any given moment, into who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/character-is-the-result-of-hundreds-and-hundreds-of-choices-you-make/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [The success of the Starbucks has been based on this balance between profitability and a social conscience. Everywhere we're doing business, were trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/the-success-of-the-starbucks-has-been-based-on-this-balance-between/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [Let us be thankful for health and competence, and, above all, for a quiet conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/let-us-be-thankful-for-health-and-competence-and-above-all-for-a/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [“Knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabelaise/knowledge-without-conscience-is-but-the-ruin-of-the-soul/) Rabelaise > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) ## More by Howard Schultz > [For Starbucks, there will be no shortage of the highest-quality arabica beans. I suspect that for some others there could potentially be a problem,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/for-starbucks-there-will-be-no-shortage-of-the-highest-quality/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [If it Captures Your Imagination, it will captivate others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/if-it-captures-your-imagination-it-will-captivate-others/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [If you look at coffee, tea, food and juice, we think there are inherent opportunities. If you look at health bars or grab-and-go products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/if-you-look-at-coffee-tea-food-and-juice-we-think-there-are-inherent/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [The success of the Starbucks has been based on this balance between profitability and a social conscience. 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We think the number of stores here can rival the number in North America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/we-have-a-big-opportunity-in-china-we-think-the-number-of-stores-here/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [Starbucks is not an advertiser; people think we are a great marketing company, but in fact we spend very little money on marketing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/starbucks-is-not-an-advertiser-people-think-we-are-a-great-marketing/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [We woke up one day, and all the sudden Starbucks was in the middle of this political crossfire between the people who want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/we-woke-up-one-day-and-all-the-sudden-starbucks-was-in-the-middle-of/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [I'm in a different position than most CEO's. I'm a founder. I'm not a hired CEO. Now, I can be fired by the board,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/i-m-in-a-different-position-than-most-ceo-s-i-m-a-founder-i-m-not-a/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [Profitability is a shallow goal if it doesn't have a real purpose, and the purpose has to be share the profits with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/profitability-is-a-shallow-goal-if-it-doesn-t-have-a-real-purpose-and/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [And with the right mentor, don't be afraid to expose your vulnerabilities. Admit you don't know what you don't know. When you acknowledge your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/and-with-the-right-mentor-don-t-be-afraid-to-expose-your/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [People in Washington need to put their feet in the shoes of working Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/people-in-washington-need-to-put-their-feet-in-the-shoes-of-working/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) [Explore all 252 Howard Schultz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) ## More Business quotes > [Companies with cultures that celebrate diverse opinions and encourage the exchange of ideas have an advantage when solving difficult problems. 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