Southwest Airlines Company: Leadership Profile Paper
Southwest Airlines Company: Leadership Profile
Jim Darling, Amie Rainbolt, Melissa Blouin, and Meleanie Cabrera
University of Phoenix
LDR/300
June 18, 2013
Sharon Patterson
Southwest Airlines Company: Leadership Profile
Team A will discuss how Southwest Airlines president can recruit and develop the airlines future leaders. Even though there is a proposal to avoid managerial derailment and failure for Southwest Airlines. They can compare-and-contrast of common leadership traits in the airline industry because there are methods for developing leaders in the airline industry, and there are strategies for how airline industry leaders balance competing values and priorities. The main objective will be to identify and discuss common leadership traits in the airline industry. Next the team A of this paper will include what makes a leader, leadership style, developing a leader, and how loyalty plays a major role in an organizations culture. Third, the team will discuss strategies for how airline industry leaders balance competing values, priorities, and discussions, including a …show more content…
selection of talent, managing risk, and managing transition.
Leadership Traits Leadership at Southwest Airlines is a process used to influence individuals to behave in a certain way. At Southwest to be an effective leader means to encourage people to be consistent in this or her jobs within the company as established in the mission statement. A leader cannot force an individual to do anything they do not want to do, and they cannot let people do whatever he or she wants to do, either. Southwest airlines leaders use their traits, skills, and abilities to help better employee’s beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes.
To be an effective leader at Southwest Airlines there are three distinctive approaches to the way he or she must lead in the airline industry. Any effective that Southwest hires must be able to grasp the content an effective global learning organization of their time (Gilbert, 2009). This individual must be able to generate new business, capitalize on development opportunities, and still be able to find victory in turning around driving or decreasing business (Gilbert, 2009). Effective leaders must be a change agent who can see opportunities and not see only defeat. He or she must be able to define a business model of success. Any effective leader will have the traits of influencing by this or her actions. This means that he or she can lead by their actions and influence the evolution of the industry on any effective global learning organization and continue to make that company thrive in the evolution of the industry (Gilbert, 2009).
Making a Leader People who study companies have been interested for a long time in what it takes to be a good leader. Think about the times he or she interacted with a teacher or a boss and how that experience went. Has any leader stood out and was more effective than the others? Why are some people better at a leader than others?
Leadership Style There are a large amount of theories that try to explain how some leaders have different types of qualities that lend them to developing better leadership abilities. Every leader has something unique about them that they can use as a tool to help him or her to understand better his or her position of leadership and why some leaders are better leaders than others. Looking at Southwest Airline’s method of leadership can help leaders get a much better understanding to the theories of leadership. The leadership style at Southwest Airlines is participative and collaborative. This is a good form of leadership because it involves the employee and demonstrates that the leaders are a part of the process of getting the job done and doing it correctly. At Southwest they expect their managers to be interested in the employees. At Southwest their philosophy is that the leadership will take the time to listen to their employees and use that information that they provide help those employees achieve goals and to help them solve problems. The managers are not allowed to dictate in anyway. There is leadership programs are set up to emphasize the soft skills of motivation, listening, and communication that is a key for managers careers to be successful with the company.
Developing a Leader Southwest hires individual who can have a concern for both external and internal customers.
At Southwest managers take full advantage of this. They know their employees can do a good job within the company if they are given the tools to succeed. Managers are shown methods that will express their belief in their subordinate and capable talents. Southwest has employees who want to advance into management positions in which they can direct the work to other individuals. There are only a few people who have the skills, drive, and talent to be a leader of other people, Southwest is looking for those people within his or her ranks. The company is constantly looking for people who can demonstrate these skills. Southwest has leadership classes every two years for management employees. The managers learn to stop directing people and to start encouraging people and to promote from
within.
Loyal
Southwest Airlines demonstrates a caring culture, they have a high concern for their employees and a small concern about performance issues the belief that these can be overcome through training. Employees love working for Southwest airlines, they are committed, and loyal to the company. The people believe that Southwest Airlines believes and care for them as employees. Southwest Airlines feels that if they take care of their employees, the customers will be well taken care by those same employees. The customers must feel they are being taken care of because Southwest has the fewest customer complaints since 1987.
Flexible Leadership
The Southwest Airline has to understand how to prioritize his or her responsibilities in a strategic manner. Airline leaders must be able to adapt to different situations within their same job this will improve flexible and adaptable leadership (Yukl, 2008). Flexible and adaptable leadership is also vital when rare events and external ups and downs create an instantaneous crisis or an emerging threat or opportunity to the airlines (Yukl, 2008). Flexible leadership is tremendously tough when a leader has numerous goals interrelated in complex ways that include trade off (Yukl, 2008). The trait method has been around for many years, but there is accumulative interest in a number of skills that seem significant for flexible, adaptive leadership (Yukl, 2008). These skills include the capability to comprehend the situational necessities for effective leadership and to be flexible in adjusting to altering situations and emergency in the airline industry (Yukl, 2008). To be a flexible leader he or she must use organizational change, organizational theory, and strategic management (Yukl, 2008).
Management derailment and consequent failure of Southwest Airlines will be determined by how upper-level management chooses their management team, identifies any management risks and manages the transition of new potential managers.
Selection of Talent
In order for Southwest Airlines to be successful, must have a well-rounded management team the departments. Selecting the right talent will be key in preventing failure. Selecting the right type of manager who understands the organization and job related field will enhance success for the company. Southwest being in the aviation community, the managers selected should have an extensive knowledge base of how the aviation industry works. The organization also needs to know what strengths and weaknesses the new managers may possess to help them adapt well within the organization.
Manage Risk
Understanding the potential risks associated with being a manager. These risks could be poor management skills, unethical decision-making, or lack of composure under stressful situations. The aviation industry is high paced, attention to detail- business. If the Southwest Airlines managers do not manage the workers and specific job requirements correctly, critical tasks could be missed, which could be a potential loss financially for the organization. For example, managers who lead the maintenance department within the organization, if they do not manage the scheduled maintenance of the aircraft correctly the organization could be required to cancel flight and refund airline tickets to the passengers. Ethical decision making with code of conduct concerned is critical for a cohesive work environment. Treating the employees fairly will enhance to team building relationship within the department. Managers who manage with discriminating factors like favoritism will destroy the team building atmosphere and slow down production. To reduce these risks the organization could introduce a self-assessment questionnaire for the managers to assess their possible flaws as a manager. Managers could also have the employees assess their manager’s performance. These assessments will help the managers understand where they could be lacking as managers and ask for training aids from the corporation to refine their management skills
Manage Transition
Most management positions are filled from the bottom-up process. Employees work for the company for a period of time and when management positions become available, these employees could apply for a management position. The advantage for the organization to hire from within is the time and money spent to retrain new employees who are hired externally. For this to be successful the organization will need to have management training tools available for all employees to learn how to become the type of managers the organization wants to be successful. Wan, K. (2011, June).
Conclusion
In conclusion, although there is a proposal to avoid managerial derailment and failure for Southwest airlines in any leadership profile. They can compare-and-contrast of common leadership traits in the airline industry for two main reasons. First, there are strategies for how airline industry leaders balance competing values and priorities. Most importantly, there are methods for developing leaders in the airline industry.
References
Gilbert, S. J. (2009). Come Fly with Me: A History of Airline Leadership. Retrieved from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6275.html
Wan, K. (2011, June). Understanding Managerial Derailment. Retrieved from http://www.cscollege.gov
Yukl, G. (2008). The Importance of Flexible Leadership. Retrieved from www.kaplandevries.com/images/.../Importance_of_FL_SIOP08Yukl.pdf
Jim Darling, Amie Rainbolt, Melissa Blouin, and Meleanie Cabrera
University of Phoenix
LDR/300
June 18, 2013
Sharon Patterson
Southwest Airlines Company: Leadership Profile
Team A will discuss how Southwest Airlines president can recruit and develop the airlines future leaders. Even though there is a proposal to avoid managerial derailment and failure for Southwest Airlines. They can compare-and-contrast of common leadership traits in the airline industry because there are methods for developing leaders in the airline industry, and there are strategies for how airline industry leaders balance competing values and priorities. The main objective will be to identify and discuss common leadership traits in the airline industry. Next the team A of this paper will include what makes a leader, leadership style, developing a leader, and how loyalty plays a major role in an organizations culture. Third, the team will discuss strategies for how airline industry leaders balance competing values, priorities, and discussions, including a …show more content…
selection of talent, managing risk, and managing transition.
Leadership Traits Leadership at Southwest Airlines is a process used to influence individuals to behave in a certain way. At Southwest to be an effective leader means to encourage people to be consistent in this or her jobs within the company as established in the mission statement. A leader cannot force an individual to do anything they do not want to do, and they cannot let people do whatever he or she wants to do, either. Southwest airlines leaders use their traits, skills, and abilities to help better employee’s beliefs, behaviors, and attitudes.
To be an effective leader at Southwest Airlines there are three distinctive approaches to the way he or she must lead in the airline industry. Any effective that Southwest hires must be able to grasp the content an effective global learning organization of their time (Gilbert, 2009). This individual must be able to generate new business, capitalize on development opportunities, and still be able to find victory in turning around driving or decreasing business (Gilbert, 2009). Effective leaders must be a change agent who can see opportunities and not see only defeat. He or she must be able to define a business model of success. Any effective leader will have the traits of influencing by this or her actions. This means that he or she can lead by their actions and influence the evolution of the industry on any effective global learning organization and continue to make that company thrive in the evolution of the industry (Gilbert, 2009).
Making a Leader People who study companies have been interested for a long time in what it takes to be a good leader. Think about the times he or she interacted with a teacher or a boss and how that experience went. Has any leader stood out and was more effective than the others? Why are some people better at a leader than others?
Leadership Style There are a large amount of theories that try to explain how some leaders have different types of qualities that lend them to developing better leadership abilities. Every leader has something unique about them that they can use as a tool to help him or her to understand better his or her position of leadership and why some leaders are better leaders than others. Looking at Southwest Airline’s method of leadership can help leaders get a much better understanding to the theories of leadership. The leadership style at Southwest Airlines is participative and collaborative. This is a good form of leadership because it involves the employee and demonstrates that the leaders are a part of the process of getting the job done and doing it correctly. At Southwest they expect their managers to be interested in the employees. At Southwest their philosophy is that the leadership will take the time to listen to their employees and use that information that they provide help those employees achieve goals and to help them solve problems. The managers are not allowed to dictate in anyway. There is leadership programs are set up to emphasize the soft skills of motivation, listening, and communication that is a key for managers careers to be successful with the company.
Developing a Leader Southwest hires individual who can have a concern for both external and internal customers.
At Southwest managers take full advantage of this. They know their employees can do a good job within the company if they are given the tools to succeed. Managers are shown methods that will express their belief in their subordinate and capable talents. Southwest has employees who want to advance into management positions in which they can direct the work to other individuals. There are only a few people who have the skills, drive, and talent to be a leader of other people, Southwest is looking for those people within his or her ranks. The company is constantly looking for people who can demonstrate these skills. Southwest has leadership classes every two years for management employees. The managers learn to stop directing people and to start encouraging people and to promote from
within.
Loyal
Southwest Airlines demonstrates a caring culture, they have a high concern for their employees and a small concern about performance issues the belief that these can be overcome through training. Employees love working for Southwest airlines, they are committed, and loyal to the company. The people believe that Southwest Airlines believes and care for them as employees. Southwest Airlines feels that if they take care of their employees, the customers will be well taken care by those same employees. The customers must feel they are being taken care of because Southwest has the fewest customer complaints since 1987.
Flexible Leadership
The Southwest Airline has to understand how to prioritize his or her responsibilities in a strategic manner. Airline leaders must be able to adapt to different situations within their same job this will improve flexible and adaptable leadership (Yukl, 2008). Flexible and adaptable leadership is also vital when rare events and external ups and downs create an instantaneous crisis or an emerging threat or opportunity to the airlines (Yukl, 2008). Flexible leadership is tremendously tough when a leader has numerous goals interrelated in complex ways that include trade off (Yukl, 2008). The trait method has been around for many years, but there is accumulative interest in a number of skills that seem significant for flexible, adaptive leadership (Yukl, 2008). These skills include the capability to comprehend the situational necessities for effective leadership and to be flexible in adjusting to altering situations and emergency in the airline industry (Yukl, 2008). To be a flexible leader he or she must use organizational change, organizational theory, and strategic management (Yukl, 2008).
Management derailment and consequent failure of Southwest Airlines will be determined by how upper-level management chooses their management team, identifies any management risks and manages the transition of new potential managers.
Selection of Talent
In order for Southwest Airlines to be successful, must have a well-rounded management team the departments. Selecting the right talent will be key in preventing failure. Selecting the right type of manager who understands the organization and job related field will enhance success for the company. Southwest being in the aviation community, the managers selected should have an extensive knowledge base of how the aviation industry works. The organization also needs to know what strengths and weaknesses the new managers may possess to help them adapt well within the organization.
Manage Risk
Understanding the potential risks associated with being a manager. These risks could be poor management skills, unethical decision-making, or lack of composure under stressful situations. The aviation industry is high paced, attention to detail- business. If the Southwest Airlines managers do not manage the workers and specific job requirements correctly, critical tasks could be missed, which could be a potential loss financially for the organization. For example, managers who lead the maintenance department within the organization, if they do not manage the scheduled maintenance of the aircraft correctly the organization could be required to cancel flight and refund airline tickets to the passengers. Ethical decision making with code of conduct concerned is critical for a cohesive work environment. Treating the employees fairly will enhance to team building relationship within the department. Managers who manage with discriminating factors like favoritism will destroy the team building atmosphere and slow down production. To reduce these risks the organization could introduce a self-assessment questionnaire for the managers to assess their possible flaws as a manager. Managers could also have the employees assess their manager’s performance. These assessments will help the managers understand where they could be lacking as managers and ask for training aids from the corporation to refine their management skills
Manage Transition
Most management positions are filled from the bottom-up process. Employees work for the company for a period of time and when management positions become available, these employees could apply for a management position. The advantage for the organization to hire from within is the time and money spent to retrain new employees who are hired externally. For this to be successful the organization will need to have management training tools available for all employees to learn how to become the type of managers the organization wants to be successful. Wan, K. (2011, June).
Conclusion
In conclusion, although there is a proposal to avoid managerial derailment and failure for Southwest airlines in any leadership profile. They can compare-and-contrast of common leadership traits in the airline industry for two main reasons. First, there are strategies for how airline industry leaders balance competing values and priorities. Most importantly, there are methods for developing leaders in the airline industry.
References
Gilbert, S. J. (2009). Come Fly with Me: A History of Airline Leadership. Retrieved from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/6275.html
Wan, K. (2011, June). Understanding Managerial Derailment. Retrieved from http://www.cscollege.gov
Yukl, G. (2008). The Importance of Flexible Leadership. Retrieved from www.kaplandevries.com/images/.../Importance_of_FL_SIOP08Yukl.pdf