The Champion Leader

Chapter 7Fortune Favors the Bold Leader (Learn to Lead with Confidence and Courage)

“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”

—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Herb Kelleher refused to play by the rules, for the betterment of a company, an entire industry, and all of us who can profit from his wisdom. Kelleher was the brainchild behind one of the greatest success stories in American business history. He desired to create the best customer experience possible—and by “customer,” I mean both the future patrons of Southwest Airlines and his own employees.

When he cofounded Southwest Airlines in the late 1960s, with Rollin King, the vision was clear: make air travel accessible and affordable for millions of people. In his own words, Herb wanted to, “democratize the skies,” sure, but he wanted to do it with more panache and spirit than his competitors. That idea started with the customer in mind, but the company's values and mission were built on putting their employees first. Herb Kelleher recognized their worth to the value of Southwest Airlines and championed it throughout his incredibly successful career.

Before a Southwest Airlines plane took flight, Kelleher and his team fought for four long years in legal battles to become operational as an airline. Their first flight was in June 1971.

It was in 1973, less than two years later, that he found himself in a very challenging situation. Southwest's point‐to‐point model of flying ...