A Great Company Begins At The Top.

Kudos to: Dave Barger, CEO of Jet Blue!

First segment of Legendary Leadership Series

The Jet Blue CEO spoke at a conference where I  spoke in August. One of the things he said taught a valuable lesson about leading from the top. He talked about the turbulence—his word—in the airline industry. Times are tough for both the airline and hospitality industries, but his talk was not doom and gloom. In fact just the opposite. He and his company are taking positive steps not just to survive but to keep the Jet Blue brand healthy. He sees a bright future for Jet Blue and the airline industry as a whole.

Mr. Barger took a voluntary 50% pay cut from July of this year until at least the end of the year. He said, “Pilots and crews are going be flying less and that means not as many hours which translates to less money. How can I ask them to take pay cuts if I’m not willing to do the same?”

Nothing builds employee loyalty and helps pump up morale faster, even in tough economic times, than a leader of a company or professional organization delivering more than lip service and empty messages. His pay cut is in direct contrast to the CEOs of companies experiencing financial meltdowns, but walking away with millions. His action sends a clear message to employees, “we are in this together attitude” as oppose to “it’s us—the leadership—against them.”

Another quality that stood out, and one that is often one lacking in leaders, was his optimistic attitude. Mr. Barger expressed throughout his talk his optimism for the future of his company. He said, “It won’t happen overnight, but we are looking at building an even better brand, not necessarily a bigger airline.” As a leadership communication coach, I will tell you that optimism is contagious especially when it flows from the top. It builds morale, sparks creativity and infuses confidence which helps to increase the bottom line.

Congratulations to Dave Barger and Jet Blue!

Watch for future leadership posts in our series on leaders, including conversations and observations of legends including Bill Marriott, Jr., Meg Whitman, Phil Jackson and Anne Mulcahy.

Stay tuned!

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