Yes, flight disruptions are an inevitable, often
unpleasant part of air travel and we are going to see more of them in future.
But that doesn't mean that they always have to be associated with feelings of
helplessness and resentment on passengers’ side. Even the worst disruptions
could be made tolerable if handled by people who care, who tirelessly work to
soften these unpleasant experiences.
This is something that cannot be done by orders or written
procedures created in atmosphere of fear. It can be achieved by nourishing values
of trust and cooperation shaped by conditions inside the organisation where the
leader sets the tone – like in the case of Southwest Airlines where quality is
ingrained in daily activities with direct involvement of their leader and his
management team.
In his powerful TED talk 'Why
good leaders make you feel safe', Simon Sinek, a renowned leadership expert
describes the value of culture where people don't fear their leaders.
'I was flying on a trip, and I
was a witness to an incident where a passenger attempted to board before his
number was called. And I watched the gate agent treating this man like he had broken
the law - like a criminal. Shee was yelled at this passenger for attempting to board too soon.
So I said something. I said, "Why do you treat us like cattle?
Why can't you treat us like human beings?"
And this is exactly what she
said to me:
"Sir, if I don't follow the rules, I could get in
trouble or lose my job."
All she was telling me is that she doesn't feel
safe. All she was telling me is that she doesn't trust her leaders.
The reason
we like flying Southwest Airlines is not because they necessarily hire better
people. It's because they don't fear their leaders.
You see, if the conditions
are wrong, we are forced to expend our own time and energy to protect ourselves
from each other, and that inherently weakens the organization. When we feel safe
inside the organization, we will naturally combine our talents and our
strengths and work tirelessly to face the dangers outside and seize the
opportunities.'
