As I think about promises and what they mean to me, I’m taken back to my time in the Army. In the military, a promise is a sacred bond that we honor with our lives. It’s a commitment to serve, protect, and defend, no matter the cost. And I carry that thinking with me every day.
When we make a promise, we are creating a bond of trust with those around us. We are saying that we are going to do what we say we are going to do, that we are reliable and dependable, and that we value the people to whom we are making the promise. Promises can also offer a beacon of hope—a guiding light that can help us navigate through the ups and downs of life.
That has never been truer than when we faced one of the toughest challenges in our history during the operational disruption this past December, when we couldn’t live up to the promises we made to our Customers or to our Employees.
As a Company, we promise to provide our Customers with affordable fares and one-of-a-kind Southwest Hospitality, while giving our Employees a stable work environment grounded in kindness, respect, and compassion. As a Leader, I take that as a personal mission, to make sure we’re holding up our end of the bargain and delivering on our commitments.
Inevitably, there will be times when promises are hard to keep, when goals and relationships are tested. But in those moments, if we keep working to honor our word and make things right after a promise is broken, many times we can foster greater trust and build even stronger relationships.
Our Company and Employee Promises will always be our North Star—helping us learn from and move past what happened in December, continually improve our operation, take better care of our People, and strengthen our brand. And they will continue to drive us as they have for more than 51 years.
For me, I will never stop pushing myself to deliver on my own promises as well as our Company’s. Each day, I ask myself—and I encourage you to ask yourself—am I keeping my promises? Am I living up to the oaths I’ve made? How can I contribute, alongside all of our Employees, to strengthen our Culture of trust, loyalty, and accountability?
XOXO,
