Personality Counts as Much as Quality and Reliability
Herb Kelleher commented once that while quality and reliability are high priorities in any successful business, he added that in his estimation "personality" counted just as much.
Concerning personality he said this:
"At far too many companies, when you come into the office you put on a mask. You look different, talk different, act different -- which is why most business encounters are, at best, bland and impersonal."
The point he was making was that people, for whatever reason, started playing a role that had no connection to who they were. His conclusion was that it is de-motivating and produces clonish personalities, rather than lively diversity and uniqueness that can make up a company culture.
One of the ways to overcome this is to completely understand what type of culture you want to be part of your company and then hire people that already have those qualities.
For a manager or business leader, we need to cultivate personality that is honest in who we are. People don't expect leaders to all be like Richard Branson or Herb Kelleher in personality, but they do need them to be who they are. That's what real personality means.
This is how Kelleher understood personality and why he puts it in equal importance to quality and reliability. People can have various personality types and still make strong impressions upon other people. The key differentiating point? Being genuine. Genuine personalities are real and make true impact upon those who give themselves permission to be who they really are. That is respected by everyone.
Other Herb Kelleher Sources:
Leadership: The Essential Herb Kelleher
Speeches and Presentations from Southwest Leaders
Southwest Airlines: The Hottest Thing in the Sky
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