A Culture of Commitment
When Herb Kelleher has talked about Southwest Airlines (LUV) in the past, he mentions the culture of commitment that permeates the company. One of the keys to it he says in very beginning of the hiring process itself.
He said it this way: "But we try not to hire people who are humorless, self-centered, or complacent, so when they come to work, we want them, not their corporate clones."
Concerning the workers at Southwest Airlines, he added, "They are what makes us 
different (workers), and in most enterprises, different is better."
The important idea he was communicating is that one of the major contributors to "A Culture of Commitment" is hiring people that fit in with the type of culture you want your business to be.
So when he wanted people with humor, thought of others and were excited to see things improve - it contributed to the commitment of the workers to consumers, fellow workers and the company. And as he also noted, these qualities are what made the company stand out head and shoulders about its competition.
He wanted people that were real and didn't put on another face or personality when they came to work. They were encouraged to be who they were, and they responded in helping to make Southwest Airlines the company it became.
What made it happen was knowing what type of person they were looking for and doing everything they could to only hire them. A simple, yet powerful way to build a terrific company or department.
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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