Below you will find case studies in which you are to review and critique, giving you thoughts and input on what characteristics you saw were shown to bring the companies out of turmoil. How would you have handled the situation differently? What strengths and weaknesses did you find in the leader? What is the difference between a leader and a manager?

Case Study #1: Southwest Airlines

How can an airline survive a government order to ground its entire fleet and shut down for days? After 9/11, all U.S. airlines were faced with this same crisis. One that succeeded through the difficulty was Southwest Airlines, already known for its outstanding customer service. Southwest's passengers, flight attendants, pilots and ground crews were stranded all across the country after the terrorist attacks. But unlike their competition, Southwest's leadership did more than just sit and wait. They encouraged employees to leverage their trademark fun approach to business and to help stranded customers enjoy themselves at the movies or the local bowling alley. And when the ramifications of the shutdown forced other airlines to cut staff, Southwest's then-CEO, James Parker, announced just three days after 9/11 that the company would be keeping all of its employees, as well as issuing a profit-sharing payment.