The Mile High Club
Herb Kelleher is still flying high after 35 years of leading Southwest Airlines
It's a warm and sunny morning outside of Southwest Airlines headquarters in Dallas, Texas. It's just after 7:00 when Herb Kelleher arrives, dressed rather casually for an airline chairman: neatly pressed khakis, shiny brown loafers, and a black and white stripped polo shirt. This may seem weird to the average person, but Southwest Airlines is not the average company, and Mr. Kelleher is not the average company executive. You see, Kelleher's colorful personality has created a company culture which has made Southwest employees well-known for not taking themselves seriously (flight attendants often singing in-flight announcements to the tune of popular theme songs) but their jobs seriously. Southwest has grown from humble beginnings in 1971 (only serving three cites in Texas) to become the third largest airline in America in terms of total number of passengers carried in 2005 with 81 million. And even though he stepped down as CEO in 2001, he retained the title of Executive Chairman and is still considered a legend in the airline industry, but you would never know it by the way he carries himself. After 35 years, Kelleher is still having fun every step of the way.
Today, like everyday in Kelleher's life, is a busy one. Filled with meetings and appearances, it's amazing that he has found time to sit down with me in his office, which overlooks the terminals and runways of Love Field Airport in Dallas, which is considered Southwest's home base. Immediately I notice the quirky behavior that Herb is known for. Pacing the room one minute, sprawling face up on the sofa the next, you can tell that Kelleher has a lot on his mind, but doesn't quite know ...