Devoted to Managers and those that seek to improve their management skills

Credited Employees for Southwest's Great Success

There are always two different ways of looking at what the management at a company says. They do it because it's true and right to say, or they say things as a strategy because someone has told them to do it.

In the case of Herb Kelleher, what he said he really believed, so when he credited his people with being the reason for the success of the company, they knew he really meant it. People know when you genuinely mean it or not.

One example which I remember was a disaster for a company was when they "honored" their workers for having a great years. They provided a nice banquet and had a lot of big people in the company come. Guess what happened though, all the big people in the company went in line before the people being honored and actually caused some bad feeling between the workers and the leadership.

I saw this happen because I was there. It wasn't pretty to see. The problem was that those that came up with the idea really didn't do it for their people, they did it to impress those other leaders in the company that had been invited. It was a disaster, but those putting it on never knew how bad it was.

It wasn't just disappointment, it was degrading to see those that were supposed to be honored moving to the back of the line in a banquet allegedly to thank them for their great work over the year; and privately they let out how they felt.

The idea is that people know when something is being done in honesty and respect for them and when its not. Kelleher always lived and did things from a true feeling that was from the heart and meant it. So when he said or did things for his people, they knew that it was real.

Kelleher says he "simply hires the best people, treats them with respect, and gives them the freedom to make decisions and to have fun just being themselves." He meant what he said, and his people rewarded him year after year for meaning it.

Other Herb Kelleher Sources:

A Culture of Commitment

HERB KELLEHER

The wild turkey

Herb Kelleher on the Record, Part 1

Herb Kelleher Talks about How Southwest Airlines Grew from Entrepreneurial Startup to Industry Leadership

Belief Model for The Leadership of Herb Kelleher (Southwest Airlines)

Herb Kelleher, Chairman, CEO and President, Southwest Airlines

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