The passing of Herb Kelleher, former CEO of Southwest Airlines, and the articles memorializing him is a good reminder that the success of an organization is inexorably linked with the people who make up the organization. Caring for employees is a major tenet of a successful company. People matter.
“The key to Kelleher’s success was his focus on people – customers, employees, and suppliers. He epitomized the “respect for people” (or “human nature“) pillar of lean and demonstrated how effective and powerful humble, authentic, and empathetic leadership can be.”
