1. What type of servant leader behaviors did Herb Kelleher exhibit in starting the airline? What about Colleen Barrett?
2. How do the leaders of Southwest Airlines serve others? What others are they serving?
3. Southwest Airlines emphasizes the Golden Rule. What role does the Golden Rule play in servant leadership? Is it always a part of servant leadership? Discuss.
4. Based on Figure 10.1, describe the outcomes of servant leadership at Southwest Airlines and how follower receptivity may have influenced those outcomes.
Southwest Airlines is the focus of this case study. In this reading, students are able to see that a large, profitable company can find and build success by applying principles of servant leadership.
Southwest believes in the Golden Rule: Treat people the way you want to be treated. Their model focuses on employee satisfaction first, followed by the needs of passengers. They hire for attitude and train for skill.
Company co-founder Herb Kelleher is largely responsible for this attitude. He believed in equality, collaboration, and employee satisfaction. He felt that an airline would succeed if it took care of employees first. Herb did just that, as evidenced by the growth and success of one of his first followers, Colleen Barrett. Colleen worked with Herb even before he founded Southwest and grew to become COO of the airline. She was always treated like an equal, and rose from Herb's side to become a successful leader in the company.