Integrity is an important virtue that every conscious leader should aspire to. It comes in many forms, and it’s critical for leaders to embrace it and all its complexity. Integrity is often defined by what it is not, rather than what it is, for instance, “not lying”...
As leaders, we truly are only as good as our teams. Entrepreneurs and CEOs are often credited with all the success when building great companies or fostering revolutionary breakthroughs. In reality, all successful businesses have an amazing, talented team working...
When you look back at jobs you’ve had throughout your career, the day-to-day details often fade, but the influence of the leaders you encountered along the way has a lasting impact. Now more than ever, people want to feel connected to a deeper sense of purpose in...
31 years ago today marks a very important moment for both me and Whole Foods - it was the day of our Initial Public Offering! Back in 1992, we had 12 stores and desperately wanted to grow, but cash constraints continued to be a problem. We needed a solution. The...
Gratitude is one of the single most important keys to happiness in life. Oftentimes, it is assumed that gratitude needs an object; for example, expressing gratitude for a meal or a specific person. However, an object is not necessary to express gratitude - we can feel...
I made my retirement announcement internally a year before I left Whole Foods Market. In addition to transitioning responsibilities to the next CEO, Jason Buechel, I wanted time to focus my energy on doing things that would be most meaningful to Whole Foods. I spent...
Finding your personal higher purpose is often a journey of discovery. It takes time and patience and is seldom linear. Both individuals and businesses can have a higher purpose. For me, my individual higher purpose was discovered when I began living in a vegetarian...
Some people can go their entire life without ever discovering their higher purpose, but I was lucky enough to discover mine when I co-founded Safer Way Natural Foods in 1978 and Whole Foods Market in 1980. Words cannot express how deeply grateful I am for this...
