Hello leaders!

To change any culture, in any company, the people at the top have to show it! Because words without deeds mean nothing!

When Dave Neeleman started the airline, Jet Blue, he knew the importance of leading from the front, and letting his actions speak. His mission was to create a customer service culture, and he knew all eyes would be watching.

Here’s what Norm Brodskey had to write in INC. magazine about being on a Jet Blue flight when Neeleman was on board…

“As we were buckling up to take off, Neeleman stood up and introduced himself. ‘Hi, I’m Dave Neeleman, the CEO of Jet Blue. I’m here to serve you today and I’m looking forward to meeting every one of you before we land.’

“As he was handing out snack baskets he would stop to chat with everyone. When he came to me, I told him I thought it was a great idea to serve his customer first hand, and asked him how often he did it. Expecting him to say once or twice a year, he said, ‘Not often enough...I get to do it about once a month.’

“Out of curiosity, I watched him interact with other passengers. In several instances, I saw him taking notes and listening intently to what passengers were saying. In a few instances when he couldn’t answer the question, I watched him take a business card and say, ‘Someone will be in touch with you in the next 24 hours.’ Even at the end of the flight, there was Neeleman, in his blue apron, leading the charge collecting the trash from the seat pockets.”

When asked if he thought leading by example was the most important quality of leadership, the great humanitarian, Albert Schweitzer thought for a second, and then replied,

“No, it’s not the most important one. It’s the only one.”