My wife, Liz, is a pilot for Southwest Airlines, and I jokingly tell my friends that although I do not fly actively today, I live vicariously through her, and her career at SWA. However, my own relationship with her employer dates back to 1995 when I was also hired by Southwest.
Fresh out of the Air Force, I followed my friends to the place where ex-fighter pilots went to fly commercial airliners and tell stories about days gone by. I soon found out that Southwest was much more than just another airline…although Southwest flies the same Boeing machines, uses the same airports, is subject to the same FAA rules and regulations, and so forth, there was definitely something different about the company and the people who worked there. Those observations started on the very first day of training at Dallas Love Field in June of 1995.
The first event on the schedule Monday morning, for my class of 25 new hires was “breakfast with Herb”. Although I don’t remember too much about that event, what does stick in my mind was the way Herb interfaced with all of us. He was easy, self effacing, confident, a jokester, and a generally nice person to meet. By the end of breakfast he knew everyone’s name and was on first name basis with all of us…I also remember seeing a bottle of Wild Turkey somewhere in the room. He was definitely not cast in the mold of a corporate CEO!
As training continued and I began to fly on the line, I found myself part of an organization that was more family than employer…all in the style and culture created by Herb. I enjoyed the three years I spent at SWA and when I decided to leave in 1998, the decision had nothing to do with the airline itself… but that is another story altogether. A number of years later, when my wife left corporate aviation, she was hired by SWA and so happily, my association with SWA was renewed, although this time at arm’s length. It wasn’t long before another Herb story surfaced.
Liz was dead-heading to training in Dallas, and when she got to Dallas, she called me immediately and relayed the following story:
Her flight had an intermediate stop in Austin and at the assigned departure time, the Captain got on the PA and announced the flight had been delayed because they were waiting for a late passenger – who happened to be Herb Kelleher. The Captain apologized and asked for the passengers’ patience. Herb arrived for the flight and as he boarded the flight he was met with huge applause and he hugged every female on the jet as he made his way towards the back where Liz was seated…he got to her seat and gave her a huge hug, a sloppy wet kiss and loudly proclaimed to the adoring passengers “I feel a sexual harassment lawsuit coming on….”. Everyone laughed, more pictures were taken and the flight proceeded to Dallas. Upon arriving at the gate, Herb was again surrounded by passengers who wanted to hug him, shake his hand and have their pictures taken with him. In Liz’s breathless words, “He was treated like a rock star!”
So, why is it that this one airline has grown to be the largest in the country and one of the most admired companies in the United States? The airline industry is a cutthroat business and known for everything from brutal competition among companies to disagreements between labor and management that have effectively killed entire companies. Why is Herb, who long since left his role as SWA CEO and is fully retired, still a folk hero among Texans? Why would Liz receive a book this week before Christmas from her employer, co-authored by Colleen Barrett (former SWA CEO) and Ken Blanchard (a leading expert on leadership and organizational development) and titled Lead with Love? Doesn’t that sound a little “over the top” for a book about an airline that engages in fare wars, competes on the basis of ridiculously small margins and slugs it out every day with its competitors? What is going on here?
I will leave you with those questions and invite you to comment….and in a few weeks, we will revisit the story of Southwest Airlines – a fierce competitor in the unforgiving world of commercial aviation, and yet a company that leads with its heart.
Look forward to hearing from you…
Cheers, Kees
