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

"Take the competition seriously but not yourself."

Have you ever seen one of those battles between companies and CEOs where there seems to be one that's funny and and seems to be enjoying life and the other in a bad mood and seemingly not enjoying what they're doing?

When the battle unfolds over a period of time, the one that takes themselves too seriously ends up being the loser, whether they win whatever is being debated or not. They've already won in the court of public opinion.

That's what comes to my mind when I read the quote by Kelleher to not take ourselves too seriously. When we don't take ourselves too seriously, we can be nimble, quick and willing to respond to unique circumstances that can arise daily.

With companies that take themselves too seriously, I've seen that the bureaucratic tendencies that come from that attitude tend to slow the company and leadership down as everyone seems afraid to take steps without asking the person above them.

Fear seems to be one of the fruits of the "serious" manager or company. That in turn keeps companies a step behind their competitors because they're tentative in making decisions or taking steps that make a difference in whatever they're facing.

On the other hand we need to take our competition very seriously, but, the way we do that is by not taking ourselves overly serious.

It is our very looseness and fun that makes us ferocious competitors. We know we need to enjoy what we're doing and create a fun business culture for the very reason that we do take our competitors seriously.

When that's part of our culture, we're basically ready for anything and our people aren't afraid to do the right thing for our customers, fellow workers and the company. That makes us extremely difficult to compete with.

Other Herb Kelleher Sources:

Special Event

Leadership: The Essential Herb Kelleher

The CEO as Brand Guardian

Herb's way

Speeches and Presentations from Southwest Leaders

Southwest Airlines: The Hottest Thing in the Sky

Have Fun, Make Money

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