"We ran out of money in 1969, and the board of directors said: Let's just shut this down. And I said: I'll pay all the costs out of my own pocket and work for nothing to see if we can get this thing going."
What Herb Kelleher said here, is something that a lot of mediocre managers and business owners miss: He was absolutely committed to the success of Southwest (LUV) airlines.
While nobody would ever say they weren't committed to success, the truth is many aren't.
The bottom line in having this type of commitment is having a belief that you really have hold of something special. It's that vision that grabs hold of great managers and CEOs that make them commit everything to making sure they make that vision a reality.
The offer to pay the costs and work for nothing wasn't cheap motivational language, it came right from the heart and Kelleher meant it. So do other CEOs that truly believe in what they're doing.
Business for the great managers is far more than working for a company, it's working for a cause in their minds. And very few are able to compete successfully against those who utterly believe that what they're doing is a great purpose.
Kelleher believed it and worked night and day to make sure it succeeded. Lack of money or anything else wasn't going to stop him.
When you're truly committed in this way, there will always be a way to make it happen. We just have to look for it until we find it.
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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