Herb Kelleher

Herb Kelleher – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

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Explore the life and legacy of Herb Kelleher—co-founder of Southwest Airlines—through his biography, guiding philosophy, most memorable quotes, and lessons for modern business leaders.

Introduction

Herb Kelleher was more than a businessman—he was a maverick leader who reshaped commercial aviation. Born March 12, 1931, in Camden, New Jersey, Kelleher went on to co-found Southwest Airlines and cultivate a corporate culture known for humor, devotion to employees, and fierce customer focus.

In an industry notorious for razor-thin margins, Kelleher crafted an airline model defined by simplicity, operational efficiency, and a people-first philosophy. His leadership style and famous sayings continue to inspire entrepreneurs, executives, and culture-builders across the globe.

Early Life and Family

Herbert David Kelleher was born in Camden, New Jersey, on March 12, 1931.

His family experienced upheaval during World War II, which Kelleher later cited as formative in growing resilience and the value of personal relationships.

While in college, Kelleher met Joan Negley (on a blind date), who became his lifelong partner and introduced him to Texas, a state that he later made the center of his entrepreneurial life.

Youth and Education

Kelleher attended Wesleyan University, where he majored in English and minored in philosophy. He was also selected as an Olin Scholar.

His early training in critical thinking, rhetoric, legal strategy, and philosophy would later inform the clarity and boldness of his business decisions. Even before entering aviation, Kelleher clerked for a New Jersey Supreme Court justice and practiced law.

Career and Achievements

Founding Southwest Airlines

Kelleher’s entry into aviation was unconventional: as a lawyer. He joined forces with client and entrepreneur Rollin King to develop a low-cost, intra-Texas airline concept.

Although legend holds that the business plan was drawn on a napkin, Kelleher and King later clarified it was more metaphorical than literal.

They incorporated “Air Southwest Co.” in 1967. But major airlines fought them through legal challenges for about four years. Kelleher, wielding his legal acumen, played a pivotal role in defending the startup’s rights in court—including at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Finally, Southwest’s first flight launched on June 18, 1971.

Leadership & Growth

Over the following decades, Kelleher helped pivot Texas-based regional operation into a national powerhouse. He became CEO and president in 1981 and held those roles for two decades.

Under his stewardship, Southwest adopted:

• A single aircraft model (Boeing 737) to simplify maintenance and operations

• A point-to-point route structure rather than the hub-and-spoke model used by many airlines

• A culture of low costs, high efficiency, and operational discipline

• A “fun” and employee-centric branding to differentiate from staid competitors

One famed episode that reflects his style: a legal dispute over the slogan “Just Plane Smart” was settled via an arm-wrestling contest (dubbed Malice in Dallas). Although Kelleher lost, he won the right to use the slogan in exchange for a $5,000 charitable donation.

In 2001, Kelleher stepped down as CEO but remained chairman. Later, in 2008 he retired as chairman and became Chairman Emeritus, continuing to mentor and shape Southwest’s culture.

He also served as chair (2011–2013) of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Awards & Recognition

Kelleher’s leadership earned him more than 100 honors. Some highlights:

• Induction into the Texas Business Hall of Fame (1988)

• Tony Jannus Award for leadership in aviation (1993)

• Golden Plate Award, American Academy of Achievement (1996)

• CEO of the Year (1999)

• Inductee, National Aviation Hall of Fame (2008)

• The road to Dallas Love Field was renamed “Herb Kelleher Way.”

Historical Milestones & Context

Kelleher’s career unfolded during an era of airline deregulation (1970s onward). Many carriers struggled with high costs, inefficient routing, and competitive pressure. Southwest’s low-cost strategy, streamlined operations, and people-first branding allowed it to thrive even when many rivals failed.

He also shaped corporate culture trends: instead of top-down control, he emphasized employee engagement, trust, and fun. His leadership prefigured many ideas in modern “servant leadership” and purpose-driven business.

Additionally, Southwest became a benchmark for sustainable growth in a volatile industry—delivering consecutive years of profitability when airline math was notoriously unforgiving.

Legacy and Influence

Herb Kelleher’s impact goes well beyond aviation. His lessons on culture, simplicity, empowerment, and innovation are studied in business schools, quoted in leadership books, and applied by companies globally.

Southwest’s success validated that a company can be both low cost and beloved. Many modern airlines, startups, and service companies cite Kelleher’s philosophy as a guiding principle.

After his death on January 3, 2019 (at age 87 in Dallas), tributes poured in for the visionary who brought “LUV” to the skies.

His approach to leadership continues to inspire in an age when many businesses struggle with disengaged employees, bureaucracy, and short-term focus.

Personality and Talents

Kelleher was charismatic, irreverent, and fearless. He had a sense of humor, reveled in story-telling, and often flouted convention. He was also known for working long hours, a penchant for Wild Turkey bourbon, smoking, and a somewhat relentless energy.

He believed in trusting people rather than micromanaging them—a principle he called “hire attitude, teach skill.”

His boldness surfaced in decision-making. He famously said, “We have a strategic plan — it’s called doing things.”

To Kelleher, corporate culture was a living soul: intangible but powerful. He insisted that culture, trust, and values were at the heart of sustainable success.

Famous Quotes of Herb Kelleher

Here are some of Herb Kelleher’s most memorable and often-cited sayings (with source citations):

• “Your employees come first. And if you treat your employees right, guess what? Your customers come back, and that makes your shareholders happy.”

• “We have a strategic plan. It’s called ‘doing things.’”

• “You don’t hire for skills, you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills.”

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

• “Think small and act small, and we’ll get bigger. Think big and act big, and we’ll get smaller.”

• “If you create an environment where the people truly participate, you don’t need control. They know what needs to be done and they do it.”

• “The essential difference in service is not machines or ‘things.’ The essential difference is minds, hearts, spirits, and souls.”

• “I think my greatest moment in business was when the first Southwest airplane arrived after four years of litigation and I walked up to it and I kissed that baby on the lips and I cried.”

• “Power should be reserved for weightlifting and boats, and leadership really involves responsibility.”

• “Just because you don’t announce your plan doesn’t mean you don’t have one.”

These quotes capture Kelleher’s belief in people, simplicity, boldness, and the deeper meaning behind business.

Lessons from Herb Kelleher

From his life and words, several lessons emerge that are timeless and applicable across industries:

1. People First, Always
   Treat employees as your greatest asset. Their commitment and care for customers power your brand.

2. Hire for Attitude, Teach the Rest
   Skills can be learned, but mindset and values are harder to shape.

3. Keep Culture Simple & Authentic
   Culture is more lived experience than policy manual—shape it through behaviors, stories, and trust.

4. Action Beats Overplanning
   Too often strategy is stymied by analysis paralysis. Kelleher’s “doing things” mantra underscores that execution matters.

5. Stay Lean, Stay Fierce
   Efficient operations, low complexity, and focusing on what matters can yield resilience in turbulent industries.

6. Lead with Love, Not Fear
   Authority rooted in fear may work in the short term, but love, respect, and trust sustain organizations for the long haul.

7. Embrace Boldness & Risk
   Starting an airline on a shoestring in a regulated industry required courage. Many big ideas start out crazy.

8. Value Simplicity
   The simplest ideas, executed consistently, often outperform the most elaborate ones.

Conclusion

Herb Kelleher's journey—from a New Jersey lawyer to the legendary CEO of Southwest Airlines—is a testament to unshakable values, fierce optimism, and bold leadership. His philosophy centered on people, culture, trust, and a bias toward action has left an indelible mark on business thinking.

If you want to dive deeper, you might explore “Nuts!: Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success,” his interviews, or corporate case studies. But perhaps his best legacy is the thread of inspiration in his quotes—timeless reminders that business is, at heart, a human endeavor.

Explore more of his famous sayings, reflect on these lessons, and consider: how might your work change if you let employees come first?