Herb Kelleher

Southwest isn't a 'This is my job, that's your job' kind of company. Being successful is our job, and we're willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that.

Power should be reserved for weightlifting and boats, and leadership really involves responsibility.

Anybody who seeks wealth as an end in itself is always going to be disappointed. What you really should be doing is seeking excellence in achievement.

I've been asked a number of times what was my proudest accomplishment when I was still very active in the day-to-day affairs of Southwest Airlines. I always said job security for our people.

What's important is that a customer should get off the airplane feeling, 'I didn't just get from A to B. I had one of the most pleasant experiences I ever had, and I'll be back for that reason.'

We turned our planes around after landing and got them off again in 20 minutes back in the early days; 15 minutes in many cases. That gave us a huge cost advantage because we could do more flying in a day with a single plane than anybody else.

Your employees come first. And if you treat your employees right, guess what? Your customers come back, and that makes your shareholders happy. Start with employees and the rest follows from that.

Most people think of us as this flamboyant airline, but we're really very conservative from the fiscal standpoint.

You can have parties without spending enormous sums of money.

A company is stronger if it is bound by love rather than by fear.

I love battles. I think it's part of the Irish in me.

It is my practice to try to understand how valuable something is by trying to imagine myself without it.