Herb Kelleher

You have to treat your employees like customers

— Herb Kelleher

I forgive all personal weaknesses except egomania and pretension.

— Herb Kelleher

To be an excellent leader, you have to be a superb follower,

— Herb Kelleher

Nothing kills your company's culture like layoffs.

— Herb Kelleher

You can have parties without spending enormous sums of money.

— Herb Kelleher

The business of business is people.

— Herb Kelleher

Culture is intangible. It's spiritual. You can't buy it.

— Herb Kelleher

A company is stronger if it is bound by love rather than by fear.

— Herb Kelleher

Wild Turkey whiskey and Philip Morris cigarettes are essential to the maintenance of human life!

— Herb Kelleher

If you don't treat your own people well, they won't treat other people well.

— Herb Kelleher

I tell my employees that we're in the service business, and it's incidental that we fly airplanes.

— Herb Kelleher

It is my practice to try to understand how valuable something is by trying to imagine myself without it.

— Herb Kelleher

The spirit of Southwest Airlines is exuberant, it's caring, it's dedicated, it's diligent, it's fun, it's rewarding, it's a joy.

— Herb Kelleher

If employees aren't satisfied, they won't promote the product we need.

— Herb Kelleher

If you're crazy enough to do what you love for a living, then you're bound to create a life that matters.

— Herb Kelleher

Just because you don't announce your plan doesn't mean you don't have one.

— Herb Kelleher

Our people know that if they are sick, we will take care of them. If there are occasions of grief or joy,…

— Herb Kelleher

We turned our planes around after landing and got them off again in 20 minutes back in the early days; 15 minutes…

— Herb Kelleher

We've always operated on the thesis that a company can have a personality, that people can be themselves, and be very successful…

— Herb Kelleher

You have to have the service mentality in the sense that you subjugate your own ego, and you subjugate a large part…

— Herb Kelleher

A motivated employee treats the customer well. The customer is happy, so they keep coming back. It's not one of the enduring…

— Herb Kelleher

People with different personalities, different approaches, different values succeed not because one set of values or priorities is superior but because their…

— Herb Kelleher

I just always have felt that people should be natural in their behavior, that they should be able to derive enjoyment from…

— Herb Kelleher

Anybody who seeks wealth as an end in itself is always going to be disappointed. What you really should be doing is…

— Herb Kelleher

We will hire someone with less experience, less education, and less expertise, than someone who has more of those things and has…

— Herb Kelleher

In 1996 - when, for the fifth year in a row, we had the best record among major airlines for on-time performance…

— Herb Kelleher

Everybody in Texas would tell me that they thought I was nuts trying to start Southwest Airlines. There probably weren't 10 people…

— Herb Kelleher

If you create an environment where the people truly participate, you don't need control. They know what needs to be done and…

— Herb Kelleher

As far as value is concerned, the principal reason that I moved to Texas from New Jersey many, many years ago was…

— Herb Kelleher

I love battles. I think it's part of the Irish in me.

— Herb Kelleher

It takes nerves of steel to stay neurotic.

— Herb Kelleher

We have a strategic plan. It's called 'doing things'.

— Herb Kelleher

I've always been able to make erroneous decisions very quickly.

— Herb Kelleher

I think flying is kind of an emotional experience.

— Herb Kelleher

Hire for attitude, train for skill.

— Herb Kelleher

You [the employees] are involved in a crusade.

— Herb Kelleher

Sometimes you need a little courage too just to buck popular opinion.

— Herb Kelleher

I learned it by doing it, and I was scared to death.

— Herb Kelleher

Treat your employees like customers.

— Herb Kelleher

Who says a lighthearted approach to business is incompatible with success?

— Herb Kelleher