Herb Kelleher

“Nothing kills your company's culture like layoffs.”

“I think my greatest moment in business was when the first Southwest airplane arrived after four years of litigation, and I walked up to it and I kissed that baby on the lips and I cried.”

“I don't really have any peeves, and I fly other carriers a good bit. My experience has been good in terms of getting on the airplane expeditiously and getting to my destination as need be, on time, with my bags - which I carry on.”

“My suggestion is that if you need someone outside your company to prepare a mission statement for you, then you really don't know what your mission is, and you probably don't have one.”

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

“A motivated employee treats the customer well. The customer is happy, so they keep coming back. It's not one of the enduring green mysteries of all time; it is just the way it works.”

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

“I want to see Texas remain an entrepreneurial powerhouse in the United States.”

“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.”

“We've always operated on the thesis that a company can have a personality, that people can be themselves, and be very successful in business at the same time.”

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

“I've found that many of the greatest ideas surface in bars because that's where many people cultivate inspiration.”

“Culture is intangible. It's spiritual. You can't buy it.”

“You can have parties without spending enormous sums of money.”

“I've always said manage in good times so that you're ready for the bad times.”

“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.”

“I just always have felt that people should be natural in their behavior, that they should be able to derive enjoyment from whatever they do. When they derive enjoyment, they tend to work together better; they tend to be more productive.”

“I guess the worst moment I ever had in business was the fear that Southwest Airlines wouldn't get off the ground.”

“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 think flying is kind of an emotional experience.”