Vibrant and successful organisations are built on a culture of engagement, in which employees believe in the mission they are trying to accomplish and know that they are contributing to its success, according to former Southwest Airlines CEO James Parker in his book Do the Right Thing: How Dedicated Employees Create Loyal Customers and Large Profits. The book contains lessons about corporate culture that the author learned from his time at Southwest.
The book makes it clear that Southwest’s success was built on a hard-to-copy combination of factors which included low cost, high levels of operational efficiency, and recruitment of exceptionally friendly people. When other airlines tried to compete by matching the Southwest pricing structure, they failed because they were unable simultaneously to match the operational efficiency and customer service levels.
The overriding message that I gained from reading the book is that if you can get the people in your organisation right, everything else will flow. If the organisation is led by talented leaders, the mission is clear, and great care is taken to employ people who are keen about contributing to the mission, the organisation’s success is almost assured, regardless of the industry. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to others.