Southwest Airlines'
Herb Kelleher
Interview
Coming soon!
Notes from Evan Smith
"In 1967 when Herb Kelleher co-founded Southwest Airlines he set out to change the stuffy airlines industry. He did so by introducing a small airline with a quirky environment that saluted singing flight attendants and joke-telling pilots. The results of his innovative style are an airline that has not had to lay off a single employee despite 9/11 and that has shown a profit for 30 years straight. The pranks, quirkiness and eccentricity are encouraged in an almost evangelical way. Kelleher raps in training videos and routinely staged employee motivational activities.One such stunt was when he challenged the CEO of another company to an arm-wrestling match to decide who would get to use a slogan that the other company started using first. Kelleher lost the match, but it was attended by thousands of people in a sports arena and dubbed the "Malice in Dallas." The other CEO let Southwest continue to use the slogan anyway. To see the video, click here. Kelleher started out as the lawyer in the group of Southwest's original founders and eventually became its President, CEO and Chairman. Considered the leading image for the airlines, the smoking-drinking-Harley-riding-wisecracking-self-effacing Kelleher may not have invented the quirky spirit at Southwest but he incorporated it into a business strategy. After being diagnosed and treated with prostrate cancer, Kelleher decided to step down as President and CEO of Southwest in June 2001. The maverick former CEO believes his business model --allowing employees to "be themselves" creates a dynamic business situation resulting in happier customers and a solid workforce -- can be applied to other industries. " - Evan Smith, Texas Monthly Talks, Broadcast 9.11.03
