This month, Southwest Airlines celebrates its 43rd anniversary. When Southwest first took to the skies, there was nothing like it; flying was for the rich and elite. Fares were high, and service was low. But Southwest had a different vision—offering shorthaul, high-frequency service that launched the low-fare revolution and ultimately carried more passengers within the domestic U.S. than any other airline.
In 2007, as I was considering rotation development opportunities, I wanted to find a way to work for Southwest Airlines in Dallas. Unfortunately, I could never work out the logistics of a 6-month assignment in Washington, D.C. followed by 6 months in Dallas, Texas. So, I chose to work at the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation in addition to my time at NASA Headquarters—a rich experience. In November 2007, my wife gave me a book on The Southwest Airlines Way—the closest I could get to working for them! Full of frontline tales of Southwest’s innovative management style, this book explains how Southwest’s relentless focus on high-performance relationships and its people-management practices have been the key to its unparalleled success in the airline industry.
Click here to learn how your organization can learn from Southwest’s management style by creating shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect among management, employees, and suppliers.