Herb Kelleher was an American airline pioneer who in 1965 founded Houston-based Southwest airlines, which today flies over five million flights per year with 180 destinations worldwide.
His battles against the US government led to his conservative demeanour and deep Texas roots that are felt when he retires for weekends or vacations at home on Catfish Ranch outside of Fort Worth. At this ranch, guests can enjoy fishing trips through scenic green fields alongside horses, all while sipping margaritas made by one heckin’ famous bartender named El Muerte himself!
In this blog post, we look at some life lessons from Herb Kelleher and how we can implement them in our own lives too.
1. Look at the big picture
Herb Kelleher was a law school graduate, so he had his fair share of knowledge about the legal system. However, he knew that no matter how smart you think you are, it doesn’t mean anything if your entrepreneurs don’t get what they want to down on paper.
After all, your company’s reputation and success are based entirely on the paper you sign. Without contracts in place to protect their interests, no airline can succeed (or at least not for very long) in America.
So always think about the big picture when signing contracts; don’t get too caught up about what’s written down on that one piece of paper.
2. Be a leader, not a follower
Herb Kelleher is one of the few people who have been in the top position at two airlines that both went through periods of success and failure. So, in short, he’s been there and done that when it comes to being the leader in an airline company.
He even tried to retire at one point but was convinced by his son Tim to become the CEO of Southwest Airlines again. But, of course, all great leaders rely on their team for support, and that’s exactly what Herb did when he took up his post once more.
After all, you’re only as good as your team members allow you to be!
3. Fight like a dog for what you believe in
Herb Kelleher knew that there were some areas where the government could interfere with his business; one of those was related to fares.
While other airlines might increase their fares, Southwest begrudgingly followed suit (i.e., they would match it); however, Southwest would always go much lower than the other guys whenever they were allowed to change their fares.
This was largely due to Herb’s long-standing belief that his airline should be all about affordability and not just profit. He knew that this strategy would lead to greater profits for the company in the long run when more people were able to fly regularly.
4. Be one with your business
While other airlines seemed to be all about the employees, Herb Kelleher was more concerned about how the customers felt as they boarded his planes. After all, if the people working for you aren’t happy, it will show in their work, which can be very damaging for a company’s reputation.
Herb Kelleher wanted to ensure that Southwest Airlines was thought of as top-notch in terms of their service; even though they might not have had the newest planes, he always ensured that the crews were professional and courteous. However, he knew his airline’s image could be tarnished if he allowed employees to act like divas or behave in an abrasive manner with passengers.
5. Be prepared for the unexpected
If you are involved in the airline industry, you know that there will always be unexpected events that can dramatically change your business. This doesn’t only mean big things like 9/11 or volcanic eruptions, but also small things like bad weather or even your competitors trying to start a price war.
Herb Kelleher had also been amid such cases. As a result, he always made sure that his employees were ready for such changes even if they didn’t happen that often (though, given the nature of the airline business, you can never be too prepared!). This meant getting your best people on all flights, staying up to date with developing situations and doing your best even in the face of adversity.
6. Stand up for what you believe in
If there’s one thing Herb Kelleher could always be counted on, it was his willingness to fight for what he believed was right.
For example, when everyone else seems to think that the monopolized US airline industry is fine, Kelleher knew that Southwest Airlines would always be in a worse position than the competitors because of these policies; but he still pushed for change.
Also, while some people feel that unions are bad for businesses, Herb Kelleher felt it was important to have one at Southwest Airlines because they helped protect employees’ rights.
7. You need to do what you love and love what you do
Herb Kelleher had a vision for an airline that he knew would be different than any other in the world; after all, that’s how Southwest Airlines truly became the most successful carrier in history with regards to passengers carried and stockholder returns.
If you are in a job that you don’t like, then it’s time to do something about it because your business will suffer if you aren’t truly engaged with what you’re doing. People who love what they do tend to work harder and provide better service than those who just come in for the money; it might be tough to find your true calling, but you will know it when you stumble upon it.
8. Have fun
Lastly, no matter what happens in the business world, Herb Kelleher always felt that you should keep your good humour; after all, life was too short of taking things too seriously!
Herb knew that if he and his airline didn’t have a good time doing what it took to succeed, then the customers wouldn’t either. Of course, this meant that they could joke around and even engage in pranks without having people lose their jobs over it, but they always did professional work when needed.
To this day, Southwest Airlines still follows these lessons, and they have helped them become one of the most successful companies in the world.