Herb Kelleher was the co-founder and CEO of Southwest Airlines from 1981 to 2007. He was known as a very empathetic and charismatic leader that earned him respect throughout the industry resulting in a profit for a consecutive 24 years. To date, the southwest is the fifth largest airline in the United States.
Leadership Core Values
The core values of Herb Kelleher’s style of leadership are based on one simple concept… “Be Yourself.”
The following core values were seen within Herb Kelleher’s leadership style.
- Do Good for Others
This in itself is believed to make a difference. Instilling the dedication and faith into your employees, bringing forth a vision makes all the difference. This is based on serving the legitimate needs of their customers. Herb Kelleher was able to complete this simple task by taking the mindset of treating his employees first, This resulted in the employees providing exceptional service to the customers.
- Have Fun, Make a Difference
Herb was flamboyant and loud by nature. However his humble heart allowed him to treat others as equals. With a small office and no window, Herb would be caught going through the airport, giving hugs to all the employees.
- Focus on the Customer
This core value was displayed in Kelleher’s desire to encourage his employees to go the extra mile for their customers. As a result of this core value, Southwest had the lowest complaints in the industry filed per 100,000 passengers carried.
- Hire the Right People
Employees of Southwest were encourages to take personality tests that helped to determine what type of fit they would be for the position. In his mindset, personality could not be changed, but leadership and management could be taught.
- Be Interested
The camaraderie between Herb and the employees at Southwest Airlines was remarkable. Many years ago, on Bosses Day, 16,000 employees of Southwest Airlines chipped in to purchase a full-page ad in USA Today to express their affection for the boss. They thanked Herb for helping load bags on Thanksgiving, singing at the holiday party and singing only once a year, letting them wear shorts and sneakers to work, being a friend, not just a boss, and remembering every one of their names.
The reason the people of Southwest Airlines have such a strong affection for Herb Kelleher is pretty simple. First, he was an incredible listener. When you were with Herb, he was 100% all there—totally engaged. He made you feel like you were the most important person in the world at that moment, and to him you were.
Second, break down his speeches, annual report letters, annual messages to the field and one-on-one conversations behind closed doors. You will find that he constantly showered the people of Southwest with gratitude because that’s the way he felt. He treated them with dignity and respect. He empathized with their failures and grief. He celebrated their victories. And, he showed them how much he admired them, valued them and loved them as people, not just workers.
- Be Approachable
Herb had an uncanny ability to remember names. Many employees at Southwest would verify that they met Herb once, met him again a year later and he remembered their name. When he was introduced to someone, he cared enough to learn about them genuinely. Herb loved to tell a story about being on an elevator with the CEO of another company who didn’t even acknowledge two employees who got on the elevator with them. When the CEO asked Herb how he could create a Southwest-like culture, Herb said, “You might start by saying ‘Hello’ to your people.”
- Look Beyond Title And Status
Herb didn’t see a distinction in class, ethnicity or title when dealing with people. At a very early age, he learned from his mother—whom he respected greatly—that titles and positions are just adornments that signify nothing. They don’t represent the substance of anybody. “I learned firsthand that what she was telling me was correct,” Herb once said. “There was a very dignified gentleman in our neighborhood, the president of a local savings and loan, who used to stroll along in a very regal way up until he was indicted and convicted of embezzlement. She taught me that every person and every job is worth as much as any other person and any other job.”
Herb deplored the class mentality. Years ago, one of his executive officers said, “Herb, it’s harder for me to get in to see you than it is for a mechanic, a pilot, a flight attendant, or a reservations agent.” Half-jokingly, Herb said, “I can explain that to you very easily, they’re more important than you are!”
- Hire For Attitude, Train For Skill
Herb understood that you can’t build a great company without great people. If you’re an altruistic, outgoing person who enjoys serving others, and is team-oriented, you probably have what it takes to work at Southwest. If doing things for other people is the way you ennoble yourself instead of doing things for yourself, you fit the Southwest culture.
- Put Employees First, Customers Second
Herb believed that employees should be treated like customers and celebrated for going above and beyond the call of duty. He explained it like this, “In business school, they’d say, ‘This is a real conundrum: Who comes first, your employees, your shareholders, or your customers?’ My mother taught me that your employees come first. If you treat them well, then they treat the customers well, and that means your customers come back and your shareholders are happy.”
Apparently, this approach works. Southwest has been recognized for the most productive workforce and the best customer service ratings in the industry which means it can turn more planes, faster, with fewer people, and better service.
- Jettison Tribalism And Office Politics
Herb felt that tribalism is the deadly opponent of teamwork. He didn’t talk about labor-management relationships at Southwest because those labels set up two different groups within the company and an us versus them mentality. He believed that when you have people who are prone to point fingers or who lack empathy for the needs of their co-workers you’ve got significant problems. Herb was quick to show people how their language reflects a tribal mentality. “A guy said to me the other day, ‘In my department…'” Herb once laughed, “And I said, ‘Oh, are you not a part of Southwest Airlines anymore? Excuse me I didn’t realize you’d split off. Have we notified the SEC?'”
Under Herb’s leadership, Southwest instituted a Walk-a-Mile program. It was about developing empathy and a deeper understanding of the pressures people are under in other jobs. For example, pilots dressed as ramp agents loaded bags for a couple of days and learned how hard that job is.
Leading and managing dictates how a person in charge runs the business from sales, to production, and customers to employees. According to an article on Forbes website, leaders influence and managers direct. The bias of leaders is to inspire and enable through advice and counsel, while managers bias is focused on control and command (Bradt, 2015). the difference between managing and leading. Managers tend to control and demand while leaders inspire and enable (Bradt, 2015). The CEO of Southwest Airlines is a manager who is great at leading and managing. He takes the time to interact with employees and customers when he flies. Also, he likes to show his appreciation to employees when they make hard, rash decisions that help the customers when there is a delay or problem.
References:
WOBI (2016) How Southwest Airlines built its culture | Herb Kelleher | WOBI from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_CeFiUkV7s
The Summary provided
George Bradt (2015) The Fundamental Difference Between Leading And Managing: Influence Versus Direction from https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgebradt/2015/11/24/the-fundamental-difference-between-leading-and-managing-influence-versus-direction/#257fdbad3c73