Southwest Airlines - Leadership by Example
Leadership is
dangerous. In Leadership on the Line, Heifetz & Linsky (2002) said, “To lead
is to live dangerously because when leadership counts, when you lead people
through difficult change, you challenge what people hold dear—their daily
habits, tools, loyalties, and ways of thinking—with nothing more to offer
perhaps than a possibility” (p. 2). Lead
anyway.
In the commercial
aviation market, competition is fierce.
Surrounded by big names, thousands of jumbo aircraft, and unimaginable
growth, Herb Kelleher found a niche with air transportation that, in many ways,
has brought much larger companies to their knees. And, he did it with humility, grace, care,
and the power of personal relationships.
In a 1997 edition
of Leader to Leader magazine,
Kelleher described some of his leadership and cultural concepts. What seemed to be another rich CEOs version
of what it takes to succeed was instead a heartfelt account of one man’s desire
to believe. In the article, Kelleher
shared about the importance of quality and reliability. No big surprise. He then spoke of financial discipline and
market awareness. Sure, that’s to be
expected. But then, he opened up and let
the readers into his true motivation: the power of being yourself.
In the article,
Kelleher said, “Culture defines personality.”
He believes in releasing control to his employees and that the best
leaders serve. As a result, his
employees enjoy freedom, informality, and an interplay that motivates them to
work in the best interest of the company.
He said, “If you take an ongoing, genuine interest in the well-being of
your people, outside as well as inside the workplace, you eventually create
trust.” As a result, Southwest has created
a culture of trust, camaraderie, and focus that has not been replicated.
As a result of
Southwest’s success, competitors have tried humor, delegation, and various
methods of inspiration. They quickly
found out that authenticity and vision cannot be faked. You can’t create a culture that you don’t
believe in. Kelleher believes in the people at
Southwest. He believes in a better flying experience for customers. And, he believes
that people shine when they are loved and treated with respect. Unlike the CEO sharks circling prey and
intimidating employees, Kelleher shows vulnerability when he says, “We are not
afraid to talk to our people with emotion. We’re not afraid to tell them, ‘We
love you.’ Because we do.” Not many
leaders speak like that. As a result, not
many leaders have employees like those at Southwest.
For a class
assignment, I was asked to watch a You Tube video titled “A Day in the Life of
the Culture Committee by Southwest Airlines.”
It was a four-minute window into the life and culture of Southwest. Kelleher’s heart and insights were highlighted
in this short snippet of film. The following
are my responses to the assignment:
Is the Culture Committee at
Southwest effective in establishing cultural norms?
Brown (2011) said, “The values and behaviors of every
organization are unique” (p. 10).
Kelleher has made it very clear that his organization values integrity,
respect, hard work, and fun! Too many organizations
leave their values hanging on office walls.
At Southwest, they live them out every day. By demonstrating their appreciation, the
employee-to-employee enthusiasm inspires people toward unity and generosity. The norms are contagious and effective. They have spread through management, the
employees, and as earnings per share show – the customers as well!
From what you can tell, what is
the purpose of the Culture Committee at Southwest?
The Culture Committee is more than a “feel-good” surprise
at the end of the day. They are
genuinely pursuing the organization’s vision and mission. Southwest’s new CEO, Gary Kelly said, “Our
people are our single greatest strength and most enduring long term competitive
advantage.” The Culture Committee all
wear the same shirts on “hokey” day highlighting three core components of the
culture at Southwest: Warrior Spirit, Servant’s Heart, and a Fun-Loving
Attitude. These are not merely work
place slogans; rather, they are foundational beliefs and purpose of the
leadership and employees at Southwest.
The motivation behind the Culture Committee is to take an
extra step toward employee appreciation.
Flights are not always easy.
Unruly passengers, tight quarters, and lots of time away from home can
cause even the best employee to get tired.
Opening the cabin door and being told to “sit back, take it easy, get
something to eat, and let the Culture Committee clean up your plane” is a
profound way to show appreciation. In
short, it’s love in action.
What would you see as a viable
mission for a culture committee in your place of work (or your last place of
work if you are not currently working)?
Most of my day is spent staring at emails
and solving problems. I rarely take
lunch and without windows in my office, I often don’t know what the weather is
like outside. Personally, I would be
extremely happy if the Culture Committee showed up at my office around
lunchtime and told me, “Come with us outside for a nice lunch!” Showing up on a busy day with lunch and going
outside to enjoy the day would be a great break from the computer and constant
phone calls.
Fortunately, my supervisor keeps his finger
on the pulse of his employees. He
schedules regular meetings to ensure communication is open. He promotes monthly team lunches at a restaurant
in the local area. And, he often calls
just to ask how we’re doing.
Furthermore, he remembers and rewards people with special recognition
awards to let them know they are appreciated.
What can you take away from this exercise to immediately use in your
career?
From Herb Kelleher
to Gary Kelly and to my supervisor, there is an important take-away from this
assignment: Employees want to know they are appreciated. Acknowledging someone’s hard work with a pat
on the back, a hokey-day, or a team lunch are all ways in which CEOs and
supervisors say, “Thank you for a job well done.” One more thing: We spend most of our lives at
work. We might as well have fun!
Steve
References
Brown, D.R. (2011). An experiential
approach to organizational development. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Heifetz, R.A., & Linsky, M.
(2002). Leadership on the line. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.
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