"The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit.

We are committed to provide our Employees a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Creativity and innovation are encouraged for improving the effectiveness of Southwest Airlines. Above all, Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the Organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer" (Freisberg & Freisberg, p. 284).

"This Mission Statement applies to both external customers and internal customers - the employees at Southwest Airlines. It is not some trendy wall hanging, designed to impress customers; it is a living, breathing document that provides guidance to every Southwest employee" (Freisberg and Freisberg, p. 294).

Herb Kelleher, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-Founder of Southwest, is known for his keen sense of humor and friendliness with employees. Keller understands that the key to success is in dependable, productive, and motivated employees. When

In an interview with Kelleher, Jim Fuquay, Star-Telegram Staff Writer, asked, "How do you renew a big organization, renew your own spirit and, most important, renew the sense of purpose of your employees?" Kelleher answered, "Think small and act small, and we'll get bigger. Think big, be complacent, and we'll get smaller." Bill Adair of St. Petersburg Times said, "Southwest employees treat him like a cult leader. Passengers approach him in airports to get his autograph." Employees say, "He is genuinely concerned with what we do. He knows what we go through." Herb Keller has earned that type of respect by working side-by-side with his employees. He sorts bags every year on "Black Wednesday," the hectic day before Thanksgiving, and he will show up at 4 a.m. in the mechanics' lounge with donuts." Flight Attendant Randy Rosen said, "He makes me feel part of this big family." Flexible work rules help to make Southwest employees among the most productive in the industry, !

Employees at Southwest say that it is a fun place to work because Herb Kelleher has made it that way. Although there is more than fun and games going on there, the culture is one of pride, openness, fairness and loyalty. (Levering and Moskowitz, 1993). Herb Kelleher's leadership inspires motivation in Southwest employees. Often, they spend long periods at work yet are able to maintain a high level of energy. This is because they are proud of who they are and what they have built. Being at work is like "being at play" for most of the employees. Mutual trust and love is the basis for many the relationships. Southwest employees are proud to be a part of a corporate culture that values them not according to their position or the job they do, but values them as people. Employees believe that Kelleher, in his leadership role, protects their sources of motivation and draws upon them to invigorate and revitalize them when they temporarily lose hope.

He is not a flashy CEO although he earns more than $500,000 a year in salary and bonuses and owns more than $60-million in stock and options. He wears jeans to the office even when he has an important meeting with the top vice presidents. Herb Kelleher believes in helping ordinary people do extraordinary things. He is charisma, his intellect, his charm, and his love for life and people make him one of the most extraordinary leaders in American business. Herb Kelleher is "Nuts with Guts!"

Southwest's leadership believes in building employ

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Approximate Word count = 1674
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)