Starbucks' new CEO endorses this commonly used piece of career advice.

Expectations are high for Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol on his first day on the job.

The coffee giant is facing mounting pressure from activist investors, unionization efforts, and sluggish sales in its two largest markets, the U.S. and China, and a 50-year-old executive is taking over amid these turbulent times.

As CEO of Chipotle, Niccol successfully steered the company through a foodborne illness scandal and navigated its restaurants through the pandemic, resulting in a strong track record of turning around troubled companies.

A "dream hire" and a "hall of fame restaurant CEO," Niccol, who previously served as CEO of Taco Bell and later led Chipotle for six years, has been praised by Wall Street analysts.

Niccol attributes a significant portion of his achievements to the "clichéd" advice he adopted in his 20s: "Have faith in yourself."

In his May 2024 commencement speech at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, Niccol emphasized the importance of believing in oneself and having the determination to persevere, even when faced with obstacles.

Niccol carries a "beat-up notebook" to outline and track his progress toward his career goals. He believes that whatever it takes to stay focused on your goal, do it and believe you can achieve it.

Believing in his gut and his ability to succeed has been the biggest difference in Niccol's career up to this point.

""Trust your instincts and take action when your gut tingles," he advised, recalling how he felt that way when he left Taco Bell to become Chipotle's CEO in 2018."

The confident 5-word phrase Niccol used to get hired as Starbucks' new CEO

Niccol's experience helped him secure the CEO role at Starbucks, but it was his confidence that made him stand out among other candidates.

In a phone screening with former Starbucks chair Mellody Hobson, Niccol demonstrated his confidence and preparedness for the job using a 5-word phrase.

"Hobson, the former chair of the Starbucks board, stated on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on August 13th that she remembers Niccol saying, "I know what to do.""

Hobson stated, "He said, 'This is a speed bump in this company's history. This is not something that I fear going into,' and that was something for our board that was extremely encouraging."

Niccol will receive a $1.6 million annual base salary and commute to Starbucks' headquarters in Seattle on a corporate jet from his home in Newport Beach, California.

"Brian has demonstrated his effectiveness as a leader in our industry, consistently generating substantial financial returns over multiple years," a Starbucks spokesperson stated in a CNBC Make It interview. "We are confident in his ability to deliver long-term, sustainable value for our partners, customers, and shareholders."

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