On March 16th, Southwest Airlines opened their doors and hearts to 64 Dallas Servant Leadership Learning Community® members for our first meeting of 2018. The experience of being inside a Company where over 364,000 people apply to work each year but only 72,000, or 2% get to feel the excitement of becoming a part of the Southwest family was awesome.
So much can be learned from the Southwest culture combining a warrior spirit a servant’s heart, and a fun-luving attitude. But, our focus for this day was how a servant-led Company responds in times of crisis and tragedy. We all knew challenges were presented by back-to-back hurricanes this past year, Harvey hitting Texas in August, then Irma effecting Florida, Georgia and Alabama followed by Maria decimating Puerto Rico both in September. We were surprised to find Southwest had been called on to provide support for victims and families in the high-profile shootings in Orlando at the Pulse Night Club (6.11.16), Dallas for Police and DART officers (7.7.16), Las Vegas, right on the heels of the hurricanes (10.1.17), and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida (2.14.18).
Participants were enthralled as Gina Henry, Emergency Response Project Leader shared stories of how Southwest responded for their Employees, Customers, and Community. From humanitarian flights, to animal rescue flights, working with Employees who had lost everything, working in 100° sauna-like conditions with no power, bringing family in to be with the injured and returning those home for the last time who had lost their lives. They even shared that mistakes can happen even when you try to do more than is expected.
Gina was joined by John Viard, Senior Manager People – HR Business Partner and Mark Wolfe, Senior Instructor, Southwest People University for People for a Q&A covering topics such as hiring, maintaining culture, and the AirTrans merger.
The morning concluded with a World Café exploring how to apply what our participants had learned from Southwest, what resonated deeply, and what was their biggest cultural challenge.
To complete the Southwest experience, many members joined Southwest Partners on a rare tour of Southwest’s Headquarters and Training and Operational Support (TOPS) buildings followed by lunch in The Landing, Southwest’s 5th floor Campus Café overlooking the runways at Love Field.
Take away from the day…Spread the LUV.
Learn It. Live It. Teach It.
“One person doing the right thing can change the culture of a workplace.”
─John Viard, SWA
"Ann McGee-Cooper teaches us that 'work' and 'drudgery' are not synonymous. She shows how a job can be a source of fellowship, zest, pride, fun, and individual expression. If we follow her precepts, we will return home refreshed, not jaded, and inspired rather than debilitated, at the end of our 'fun day,' not our 'work day.' We will also collectively be a more productive, competitive, and healthy society. I believe in what she says."