Some of my friends affectionately call me a coffee snob! I am always trying to justify my specialist and refined taste in the finer things in life! They just don’t understand…….. It is all about leadership!
In fact I can even attest to starring in a coffee advertisement for my friends at Perk Coffee! Another reason for my family and friends to needle me a little more!
All in good fun!
Is it possible that leadership traits have a connection to our choice of coffee, how we drink it and why? A coincidence or science?
In a survey, described in Dr. Durvasula’s book entitled You Are WHY You Eat: Change Your Food Attitude, Change Your Life, people’s behaviours were analysed in response to some common scenarios. eg. how we wait in long lines, how we plan dinner parties or what we do on typical weekends. The survey also asked people about their common coffee drinking choices and frequency. Through the study he then categorised psychological and behaviour traits such as introversion, extraversion, patience, warmth, vigilance, sensitivity, and social boldness.
The coffee study revealed interesting character traits in leaders, as connected to their coffee habits and choices:
Espresso drinkers: They tend to be quite goal-oriented and their leadership style reflects how they like their caffeine hit! Hard and fast, time-efficient and intense.
Black coffee drinkers: (Long black or Americano): These leaders are straightforward and no-nonsense leaders. They want to keep things simple. Be careful though, they also tend to be resistant to change or new ideas.
Flat white drinkers: They are most often very down to earth and this is especially true if they prefer a simple cup or container over fancy cups or novelty mugs.
Latte drinkers: They like to please other other people. While they are very approachable they strive for things to run very smoothly and they prefer to be peace-keepers. Self preservation is not their strength and they do tend to stretch themselves too far.
Instant coffee drinkers: These drinkers tend to be the most flexible and open to change. They are cool and calm under pressure but they also procrastinate or plan poorly.
Specialty coffee and drink connoisseurs: You know who they are! “Half-caff, whipped cream no-foam latte, extra hot or an iced hazelnut frappuccino with cinnamon” are our bold and decisive leaders. Cappuccino fans are light-hearted, fun but can be quite obsessive. Mocha lovers want the best of both worlds and see the good in the team.
Decaf drinkers: These are our perfectionists. They make healthy choices but also tend to worry. They get preoccupied with planning, order and control as well as attention to detail.
What do some of our favourite global leaders and high profile stars drink?
Elon Musk, two cups a day. He previously drank Diet Coke but has since removed that from his addiction list.
Richard Branson, 20 cups (of tea), white with no sugar.
Heidi Klum, 1 morning latte. Usually a Starbucks latte.
Ludwig van Beethoven, exactly 60 beans per cup. The greatest composer of all time was as precise with his coffee beans per cup (60) as he was with his numerically titled symphonies (9)
David Letterman, lots! In a 1994 interview he was quoted to say “Way too much coffee. But if it weren’t for the coffee, I’d have no identifiable personality whatsoever. So that’s what we have here.”
Theodore Roosevelt, one gallon per day. He was said to have coupled his reported “gallon” of coffee a day with five lumps of sugar.
Gertrude Stein, at least 2 cups. The famous writer once said” “Coffee gives you time to think. It’s a lot more than just a drink; it’s something happening. Not as in hip, but like an event, a place to be, but not like a location, but like somewhere within yourself. It gives you time, but not actual hours or minutes, but a chance to be, like be yourself, and have a second cup.”
Mark Zuckerberg, zero. What????? How does he do that?
Lets catch up for a coffee some time. In person or over a zoom call, lets chat some time about Global Leadership, or maybe just talk about coffee!
About GSE
Global Services in Education plans and opens international schools for investors, developers and governments, and manages them once they are running. 39 school projects delivered across 16 countries. Management agreements run a minimum of ten years.
The company was founded in 2011 by Greg Parry and Shanna Parry.