The authors had no right to interlace their own philosophy and value system into a book that was suppose to highlight southwest airlines and herb kelleher. Southwest airlines founder herb kelleher dead at 87. Jan, 2016 herb kelleher is the cofounder, and former ceo of southwest airlines. We were well ahead in the last minutes of the game, and i just needed to make one more basket to break the league individual scoring record. The irrepressible kelleher, who in 1971 cofounded southwest airlines, has built a company. His candor, humility and thoughts on leadership are unbelievably refreshing and really unusual in todays business world. I vividly remember a story from nuts, a book about southwest and kelleher. Sep 29, 2016 my first interview with herb kelleher actually lasted three and a half hours. The remarkable story of the countrys most successful airline and herb kelleher, the ceo who built it with integrity, guts, and nuts. He had cut off the long hair by then, but was still a rogue beloved by his employees. In the wake of the southwest airlines cofounders death, weve republished our 1996 profile of him.
When san antonio entrepreneur rollin king approached lawyer herb kelleher in 1966. Southwest does a number of things to benefit its employees, including such programs as profitsharing and empowering employees to make decisions. Southwest airlines crazy recipe for business and personal. Twentyfive years ago, herb kelleher reinvented air travel when he founded southwest airlines, where the planes are painted like killer whales, a typical company maxim is hire people with a sense of humor, and inflight meals are never served. Nuts southwest airlines crazy recipe for business and personal success freiberg, kevin. Southwest airlines mourns passing of herb kelleher flying. Twentyfive years ago, herb kelleher reinvented air travel when he founded southwest. Herb kelleher, the cofounder and former ceo of southwest airlines, grew the company from a small regional carrier with just four jets into an industry leader. Herb kelleher is an example of a leader with a vision, a vision we know today as southwest airlines. Lars pind told me about this book, and i have to agree. This is an older book so some of the material was pretty dated, but it was still worth the read. Leadership style at southwest airlines management paradise. Jim young, a longtime participant at the first friday book synopsis.
Ken blanchard, coauthor of the one minute manager full of original insights, upbeat stories, and concrete suggestions, nuts. Herb kelleher finds someone to hug as he and colleen barrett enjoy the end of the wright amendment on oct. As the founder of southwest airlines, herb kelleher did something no other person in the airline industry could dogrew an airline from nothing to more than 3500 flights a day. Manage in good times so youll do well in the bad times. Ken blanchard, coauthor of the one minute manager full of original insights, upbeat stories, and concrete. Jackie freiberg reveals the secrets of southwest airlines success and describes the unusual and unexpected inner workings of one of americas biggest success stories. Apr 01, 2006 as southwest airlines chairman and former ceo herb kelleher told an amused stanford audience april 24, it really is a horrible business. The book is both a history of southwest and a walkthrough of their values and how they do business. One of his statements i liked was, the business of business is people. The second was uncontainable by kip tindell, the recently retired ceo from the container store. Jul 28, 2017 herb kelleher, the airlines founder, is quoted in the book, nuts by kevin and jackie freiberg, about the fact that in 1973 southwest became the first major airline to introduce profitsharing. In the 90s, two companies were using the same motto. This 1 story explains his amazing leadership style this is a video produced by southwest airlines for its employees about malice in dallas, the legendary charity arm wrestling match between smokin herb k. Its a joy to read about a company that values freedom, creativity, people and, yes, love if your driving principles are love and fun, can you still make a profit in todays harsh business world.
Jan 12, 2019 herb kelleher, the legendary cofounder and ceo of southwest airlines from 1981 to 2001, recently passed away. Herb kelleher, ceo southwest airlines herb kelleher is an outrageous, offthewall ceo that has built a unique organization and has been extremely successful in a very competitive market. Herb kelleher, the airlines founder, is quoted in the book, nuts by kevin and jackie freiberg, about the fact that in 1973 southwest became the first major airline to. Herb kelleher, the late southwest airlines founder and former ceo. Southwest airlines has always been a bit of a maverick in the industry you can thank the companys colorful founder herb kelleher for that, making flying from one place to another affordable and. Southwest airlines crazy recipe for business and personal success at. The book reads like a good novel and worked really well as a bed time story book for me. By sidestepping reengineering, total quality management, and other management philosophies and. Southwest airlines cofounder and ceo herb kelleher has died. 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. It makes employees unhappy gordon bethune is a brash texan as is herb kelleher, coincidentally who is best known for turning continental airlines around from worst to first, a story told in his book of the same title from 1998. Kelleher has an unorthodox style when compared to ceos of other major corporations. This book was originally published in 1996, but every word of it is perfectly applicable today. Buy nuts southwest airlines crazy recipe for business and personal success 1st trade pbk.
By sidestepping reengineering, total quality management, and other management. Nuts southwest airlines crazy recipe for business and personal success. Now its dated, almost 20 years on it still shows how a company can make a. If youre interested in making your employees and customers raving fans of your business, nuts. Jan 03, 2019 he had cut off the long hair by then, but was still a rogue beloved by his employees. Herb kelleher you money without sums in 1996 when, for the fifth year in a row, we had the best record among major airlines for ontime performance and for baggage handling and the fewest complaints for the number of customers carried we dedicated an airplane to all of our 25,000 people. Kelleher was nearly the last man standing at northwestern that night never seeming to tire from a nearendless barrage of questions accented by. Its capital intensive, labor intensive, fuel intensive, intensely cyclical, tremendously competitive the government tells you what you can do in the air and on the ground every day. Hsm presents wobi world of business ideas, a powerhouse of actionable ideas from people shaping the world today. And southwest airlines stories are so well known and still retold among aviation sales and. Twentyfive years ago, herb kelleher reinvented air travel when he founded. I was the captain of my high school basketball team.
Founder and chairman emeritus of southwest airlines, herb kelleher, shares his thoughts on fuel costs, napoleons army, and the book hes writing. One of the key factors in southwest airlines success was mentioned in the book, but i dont think it was given the credit it is due for many of the very important decisions that set the airline up for success from the very beginning. This is an older book so some of the material was pretty dated, but it was still. Nuts southwest airlines crazy recipe for business and personal. The airline was established on march 15, 1967 by herb kelleher as air southwest co. Few ceos know how to whoop it up quite like herb kelleher.
Southwest airlines founder and chairman emeritus herb kelleher passed away at the age of 87. Southwest airlines crazy recipe for business and personal success, tells a story that perfectly exemplifies herb kelleher s humility and complete lack of ego. Southwest airlines bans peanuts but your trained service. A t a chickfila leadercast several years ago, patrick lencioni told us a story about southwest airlines that would cause many ceos to cringe or outright panic. Leading an organization is as much about soul as it is about systems. Southwest airlines crazy recipe for business and personal success kevin freiberg, jackie freiberg please order yourself a copy, only a few dollars plus shipping, while you wait. The book is divided into four sections, with the last looking at leadership in general and as practiced at southwest. Its not like the hatfields and mccoys, feuding and still killing each other after generations for reasons they dont remember. To understand how far herb kelleher has gone in life, you have to understand where and how far southwest airlines has come. Nuts southwest airlines crazy recipe for business and. The book is filled with practical advice and may inspire even the most jaded entrepreneur to lighten up and try a few things herb s way. Oct 14, 2008 hsm presents wobi world of business ideas, a powerhouse of actionable ideas from people shaping the world today. Twentyfive years ago, herb kelleher reinvented air travel when he founded southwest airlines, where the planes are painted like killer whales, a typical company maxim is hire people with a sense of humor, and inflight meals are never servedjust sixty million bags of peanuts a year.
There are valuable morsels of peanuts tossed thoughout the book. The most amazing thing to me was that he was totally focused on me during the whole time. Whether you would agree with then ceo herb kellehers method or not, you will certainly respect. As it turned out, i was first to suggest herb crack open the bottle and share, a move that earned a big smile from kelleher, as well as a copy of his book nuts and a wild turkey on the rocks of course.
Asked to share a story that encapsulates what he is all about, herb kelleher offers the following. Jackie freiberg describes the events and people who shaped the culture, character, and personality of southwest airlines, discusses the main elements of the companys success, explores the way leadership is. The book is filled with practical advice and may inspire even the most jaded entrepreneur to lighten up and try a few things herbs way. I still wont be taking a southwest flight anytime soon, but ive gained a lot. Herb kelleher 2007 history making texan award honoree duration. I have an old video of him speaking to his associates he didnt like the word employee. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Herb kelleher, the charismatic founder and former ceo of southwest airlines. The first ceo of southwest was lamar muse, herb kellehers predecessor.
Jan 26, 2018 is it still the best airline stock to buy. Herb kelleher was the cofounder and ceo of southwest airlines from 1981 to 2007. The book written in 1996 by jackie and kevin freiberg explains how kelleher and southwest lead the airline business. Herb kelleher is the cofounder, and former ceo of southwest airlines. Still nuts will show you how southwest airlines built a culture that is an extraordinary magnet for worldclass talenta culture characterized by. Southwest airlines crazy recipe for business and personal success. On a blind date at a basketball game, he met joan negley who was a student at connecticut college in new london. Herb kelleher the industry revolutionizing, straight talking, wild turkey swilling founder of southwest airlines is famous for creating his business plan on the back of a cocktail napkin and transforming the airline from three jets into the countrys.
Oct 14, 2014 5 enviable leadership lessons from herb kelleher and southwest airlines published on october 14, 2014 october 14, 2014 41 likes 9 comments. Herb kelleher, the legendary cofounder and ceo of southwest airlines from 1981 to 2001, recently passed away. The section of cedar springs road in dallas, texas, leading to love field airport was officially renamed herb kelleher way in 2014. Southwest airlines herb kellehers leadership style. In 2010, herb kelleher was made chairman of the federal reserve bank of dallas which expired 20. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Here are the top five reasons why the customer is always right is wrong. If your driving principles are love and fun, can you still make a profit in. Southwest airlines is still making a profit and growing where other airlines are losing money by the planeload. Party celebrates herb kelleher being the chief executive of the. Jan 31, 2010 im a huge admirer of the corporate culture that herb kelleher helped build at southwest airlines.
Southwest airline s crazy recipe for business and personal success best ebook. Top 5 reasons why the customer is always right is wrong. The book would have been more valuable had there been more analysis. Ive been asked a number of times what was my proudest accomplishment when i was still very active in the daytoday affairs of southwest airlines. Why do southwest airlines employees always seem so. When it was time for me to catch my flight back to austin, he took me to the airport personally. To date, southwest is the fifth largest airline in the united states. Twentyfive years ago, herb kelleher reinvented air travel when he founded so. During that time, kelleher laughed, sometimes loudly. Effective leadership finds its source in understanding. People are in awe about how herb works and manages southwest airlines. Ken blanchard, coauthor of the one minute manager full of original insights, upbeat stories, and concrete suggestions.
There is a book about the business philosophy at swa that herb championed, called nuts. Twentyfive years ago, herb kelleher reinvented air travel when he founded southwest airlines, where the planes are painted like killer whales, a typical. At wesleyan he was a member of delta kappa epsilon fraternity. Twentyfive years ago, herb kelleher reinvented air travel when he founded southwest airlines, where the planes are painted like killer whales. Unique quotes from herb kelleher, founder of southwest airlines, range from themes like respect and trust to inspiration and love. My first interview with herb kelleher actually lasted three and a half hours. Southwest airlines is still making a profit and growing where other airlines are losing. Free download nuts southwest airline s crazy recipe for. Businessman rollin king, who brought the idea of southwest airlines co. What i learned from herb kelleher, the founder of southwest. View the list you cant have a midlife crisis in the airline industry because every day is a crisis.
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