--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Great companies are defined by their…" description: "\"Great companies are defined by their discipline and their understanding of who they are and who they are not.\" — Howard Schultz" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b71/howard-schultz-1317_business_great-companies-are-defined-by-their-dis_3132101.png" --- # Great companies are defined by their discipline and their… ![“Great companies are defined by their discipline and their understanding of who they are and who they are not.” quote by Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b71/howard-schultz-1317_business_great-companies-are-defined-by-their-dis_3132101.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b71/howard-schultz-1317_business_great-companies-are-defined-by-their-dis_3132101.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b71/howard-schultz-1317_business_great-companies-are-defined-by-their-dis_3132101.png) > “Great companies are defined by their discipline and their understanding of who they are and who they 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. Successful firms know their strengths and limits, shaping disciplined strategies. **In simple terms:** Great companies understand who they are and who they aren't. Key Takeaway Define core identity and stay disciplined. Themes strategy discipline identity Mood inspirational pragmatic Type leadership business When to use this quote - startup planning - corporate restructuring - market positioning Key Concepts brand management core competencies organizational focus Questions to Reflect On - What are your non‑negotiables? - How do you balance identity with flexibility? A Different Perspective Over‑emphasis on identity can stifle adaptation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Companies Defined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies-defined-5543250/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Defined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defined/) [Defined Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/defined-discipline-3091053/) [Discipline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline/) [Discipline Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discipline-understanding-5543251/) [Great Companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-companies/) [Great company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-company/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) ## Related quotes > [Statistics may be defined as the discipline concerned with the treatment of numerical data derived from groups of individuals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-armitage/statistics-may-be-defined-as-the-discipline-concerned-with-the/) [Peter Armitage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-armitage/) > [Great companies foster a productive tension between continuity and change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/great-companies-foster-a-productive-tension-between-continuity-and/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [Those who build great companies understand that the ultimate throttle on growth for any great company is not markets, or technology, or competition, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/those-who-build-great-companies-understand-that-the-ultimate-throttle/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [Great companies connect to the heartstrings of their employees to make their purposes known.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-yaeger/great-companies-connect-to-the-heartstrings-of-their-employees-to/) [Don Yaeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-yaeger/) > [Great companies make meaning. 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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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