On the Leadership Exchange, we are privileged to meet people who are working hard to make an impact in their community, from heads of large companies to grassroots leaders.
Two of those leaders we met were Gary Kelly, the CEO of Southwest Airlines, and Daron Babcock, founder of Bonton Farms. Their work is so different, yet their messages surrounding how to make a difference in your work were the same:
- Create ownership. The culture of friendliness, fun and service are embedded into Southwest, and it continues to thrive because their employees are empowered to serve – and wow – customers. And it’s clear people are inspired by that ethos – Southwest receives more than 340,00 job applications each year. Meanwhile, for Bonton Farms, which launched in a food dessert where half the men in the community will go to prison before the age of 25, building that vision for the farm with the community was critical.
- Tell your story. The work at Bonton is healing, not only for the land but for the people who live around it, and Daron does an exceptional job at sharing that impact through a simple story. A woman was looking at the dried seeds they were spreading at Bonton. To her, they looked dead. Daron explained to her when they’re cared for, they’ll come alive and bloom. That community, she told Daron, is just like those seeds. It’s a story that’s stayed with me since we returned from Dallas, and it’s so critical to how we connect with an organization and its work.
- Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo. When Southwest launched its first flight in 1971, they had three planes and were serving three cities. Today they are the largest carrier in the U.S. and serve 130 million customers. But, that wasn’t a guarantee in the 1970s – after having to sell a plane, the company was on the edge of going out of business. To ensure it could save the same communities with one less plane, they decided they would get the plane ready to take off again as quickly as possible – the 10-minute turn. Not only was it a success but it revolutionized their business.
The LEX trip to Dallas was very impressive. Each excursion reinforced the need for Denver to be more collaborative with decision making. The Dallas communities have come together to work on common causes. This resulted in the innovation, commitment and successes experienced in Dallas. Denver will find our own path and realize our own potential. LEX allows a space and time for this to happen.
Diane Reinhard is vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer for Craig Hospital. Diane is also a member of the Leadership Foundation’s board of directors and the LEX: Dallas advisory group.
