Bob Jordan, CEO of Southwest Airlines, Episode 206
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Bob Jordan serves as President and Chief Executive Officer at Southwest Airlines. Bob is a 35-year Southwest veteran and began his career as a programmer in Information Technology. During his more than three decades at Southwest, the airline grew from a regional presence with around 7,000 people and 90 airplanes to a beloved national brand with more than 71,000 people and 126 million customers carried in 2022. Bob is a passionate advocate of "The Southwest Way," which refers to the company's core values and people-centric culture. Bob and his wife, Kelly, are members of the Texas A&M University Legacy Society and are active in charitable organizations, including Cross Timbers Community Church, Compassion International, SOS International, and the Metropolitan Opera. They have two grown children and two grandsons.
On the show this week, I’m thrilled to welcome Bob Jordan of Southwest Airlines to talk about the warrior spirit, servant’s heart, and fun-loving philosophy. We learn about Bob’s educational journey and how he met Herb Kelleher, co-founder of Southwest, while working at Hewlett Packard and took the leap to move to Southwest. Bob also highlights the impact of Southwest’s unique company culture, which is rooted in treating teammates like family. We also discuss the unique ways in how Southwest serves their customers and how this has had an impact on the success of the business.
“Southwest is a cause, and I joined this wonderful company to further the cause.” - Bob Jordan
“Do your values come to life in the hard decisions you make in the moment?” - Bob Jordan
“It comes down to ‘do the right thing’.” - Bob Jordan
This Week on The Wow Factor:
More about Herb Kelleher’s vision to liberate the American flying public by making air travel accessible and affordable
How perseverance and warrior spirit overcame regulatory obstacles and lawsuits to launch Southwest Airlines
Why Southwest Airlines is such a caring, family-oriented company
The value Southwest places on serving their customers and making them feel valued
What kind of people they like to hire at Southwest, and how they make sure they recruit the right staff
Why a commitment to doing the right thing is an absolute golden rule at Southwest
How Southwest overcame the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic
Why they chose the heart as the emblem of Southwest during their brand refresh
What they did to make things right when they had to seriously disrupt their schedule and why Bob is so proud of how the staff and leaders handled it
Bob Jordan’s Words of Wisdom:
Work hard and be yourself because it's hard to be a leader when you're trying to model somebody else you think you need to be. Leadership can be a challenge, so remember to take time for other things that are important to you. I'm a huge believer that you're a better leader if you are well rounded.
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