Page 29 - How to Drive the Bottom Line with People

Introduction

line can match Southwest’s sustained success. Texans
are well acquainted with Southwest’s commitment to

excellence as well as its ability to defy conventional
thinking in the industry. While other airlines are
scrambling for answers, Southwest flies above the tur-

bulence. What sets this organization apart? Simply
put, it is the people and the culture, in that order.
Management at Southwest Airlines knows other
companies will attempt to copy everything the com-
pany does, but they also know culture is not some-

thing built from the outside in.
A sustainable culture is built from the inside out. It
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starts with leadership that places the highest level of =

importance on human beings and a corresponding
premium on recruiting, hiring, and training—both
academic and experiential training—to equip and
empower them.
People are acknowledged as the organization’s

greatest assets, not mere expenses relegated to a line
on a profit-and-loss statement. In fact, when I became
a military pilot, one of the first things I learned was

never to refer to my cargo as “passengers.” Instead, I
was taught to refer to people as “souls on board.”
While this might seem a minor choice of words, it
communicated volumes to me regarding the value of