

Ginger Hardage on How Southwest Airlines Built A Legendary Company Culture
Jan 11, 2018
Ginger Hardage, former Senior VP of Culture & Communications at Southwest Airlines, shares insights from her 25 years fostering the airline's legendary culture. She discusses the core values behind 'The Southwest Way'—servant's heart, fun-loving attitude, and warrior spirit—and their impact on employee engagement and loyalty. Ginger outlines effective hiring practices, the importance of storytelling in embedding values, and how leadership recognition can shape culture. She also highlights organizations to study and pitfalls to avoid for building enduring cultures.
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Three Pillars Of The Southwest Way
- Southwest's culture combines a servant's heart, fun-loving attitude, and warrior spirit.
- Those three traits align employee behavior with customer service and operational excellence.
Employee Ownership Drives Business Results
- Engaged employees who act like owners create better customer outcomes and shareholder value.
- Investing in employee happiness creates a virtuous cycle that reaches customers and the bottom line.
Hire For Attitude
- Hire for attitude first and technical skills second when possible.
- Prioritize character because culture is expressed through people, not policies.