Southwest: “To whom much is given, much will be expected”

Last month while I was in Brazil, Richard Branson called out United by saying, “No employee that loves their job and their company would ever drag a passenger off an airplane.” He’s right. United’s problem isn’t just what they did or how they handled their response when they discovered what was done. It’s that they have created a systemic culture that seems to reward process over people. This stands in stark contrast to one of the most beloved airlines in the US, Southwest.

Today, as I attend the Classy Conference, I had an opportunity to speak with Laurie Barnett, Managing Director, Communication & Outreach for Southwest Airlines, celebrating its 46th year in business this week. I asked her to share some of her wisdom around what has made Southwest such a great (and profitable) company for so long.

Begin With a Clear Purpose

“Our purpose [at Southwest] is to connect people to what’s important in their lives through friendly, reliable and low cost air travel,” says Ms. Barnett. “Our purpose inspires us to connect in the air as well as on the ground; to be part of the fabric of the communities we serve and help make these communities stronger.”

As I spoke with Ms. Barnett, you could feel the depth of her sincerity shining through. Not only did she deeply believe in Southwest’s mission, but she went to great lengths to explain how the Southwest culture, known lovingly as “Living the Southwest Way” drove everything they did as a business.

As a side note, many companies struggle to clearly define their purpose (see related article, Why, Despite Simon Sinek’s Best Efforts, You Still Don’t Know Your Why). I asked Ms. Barnett how important having a clear mission and purpose is from the start of the business, to which she replied, “When you are fully aligned, you can make a meaningful impact. You need to be tied into your purpose so that you can decide how to respond to any given situation based on your true north.”

Once you have clearly defined your company’s true north, you empower every employee to contribute to your mission and to remain accountable to it. From there, it’s about defining your core values, which align directly to your purpose.

Align Your Core Values

At Southwest, it’s clear that much attention has been given to developing core values as a set of standards that every employee must embody. “We hire for attitude,” says Ms. Barnett. “We can train on knowledge and skill, but we start with the heart.” So what are Southwest’s core values? Ms. Barnett shared the three simple, yet powerful ones every employee lives by:

1. Fun Loving Attitude

2. Warrior Spirit (i.e. hard working)

3. Servants Heart

These three core values make up “Living the Southwest Way”. Ms. Barnett explained that “these core values are a natural extension of who we are”. At this point, you might be thinking to yourself, “Sure, Southwest’s Managing Director of Communication & Outreach believes deeply in living these core values, but what about their employees?

Southwest recently surveyed their employees to determine if they are, in fact, living up to the core values they profess. A whopping 83% of Southwest employees agreed that they were.

Take Massive Action: “To whom much is given, much will be expected”

It is not enough, however, for Southwest to live its core values inside its company. The reason Ms. Barnett is speaking at the Classy Conference is to share some of the work Southwest does to serve its communities outside of the airline industry.

Gary Kelly, CEO of Southwest Airlines, often says “To whom much is given, much will be expected.” The passion point here is clear and Southwest eagerly looks for ways to support the philanthropic work of its employees. “Employees are encouraged to give their time,” says Ms. Barnett. “It’s important to find ways to invest in what your employees are passionate about. When an employee invests 40 hours into a non-profit, for example, that non-profit also gets a round trip ticket on Southwest. We call this our Tickets for Time program. It’s a way for Southwest to say that we care about what [our employees] care about. If you’re putting sweat equity into it, we’re going to contribute as well.”

It’s also important to hold up shining examples of what you want to see in your company. For this, Southwest has their Winning Spirit Award. “One of the categories we want to reward is our employees who volunteer and selflessly give,” says Ms. Barnett. “It’s so important to empower your employees and recognize them for all the great work that they do.”

And, when you (1) begin with a clear purpose, (2) align your core values, and (3) take massive action, you become a living embodiment of your company’s corporate culture. You end up attracting more people who subscribe to your values and weeding out the people who don’t. That may not be the only reason Southwest is celebrating its 46th year in business, but it has certainly been a large contributing factor in their success.