James Parker, Former CEO of Southwest Airlines, Talks About Managing Through Crisis on the CEO Show with Robert Reiss
Ridgefield, CT, July 19, 2008 --(
PR.com)-- James Parker, former CEO of Southwest Airlines, Talks on The CEO Show with Robert Reiss about managing through the 9/11 crisis, by doing the “right thing” for their customers, employees, and stakeholders even when the outcome was uncertain. Parker discusses the things that differentiated Southwest from its competitors and what he calls “the soul of the company” -- termed by Reiss as “managing from the heart”.
Parker recounts the events following 9/11, explaining how the decision was made to quickly re-connect with Southwest’s customers to help them come back to the world of air travel: As early as 4Q01, this brought Southwest Airlines back to profitability, an enviable position in an intensely competitive industry.
Reiss asks Parker about Southwest Airlines’ “secret sauce”, alluding to Parker’s book, Do the Right Thing, in which Parker speaks about the “dedication and spirit” of its employees, who recognize they “understand they are doing something important and meaningful”. Southwest’s management philosophy is reflected in Parker’s words, “Employees who love their jobs will cause customers to love their company”. From Southwest’s performance, the message seems to be getting through.
Information about the Southwest Airline Company and its commitment to customer service can be found at: www.southwest.com
The interview with James Parker, former CEO of Southwest Airlines, was broadcast nationally on June 15, 2008 and can be heard in its entirety, commercial free from the website: www.theCEOshowOnline.com
###
Background: The CEO Show is the only nationally syndicated radio show to feature top CEOs who have reinvented industry through new customer service models. It is syndicated by Business Talk Radio Network out of 48 cities with 600,000 weekly listeners.
Contact: Robert Reiss 203 894 9400, robert@reissource.com
