What roles does the leader play in the development and maintenance of the culture?

LEADERSHIP IN ACTION David Neeleman Reinvents Airlines, David Neeleman has become a legend, in the for being a visionary (www.jetblisesirways.com) airline industry. In 1984, he cofounded Morris Programs such as generous profit sharing, excel Air and sold it to Southwest Airlines. In 2000, lent bencfits, open communication, and exten- he launched the highly successful JetBlue sive training, all get the right employees in the Airways, and he is now engaged in a new. ven- company and retain them. ture as CEO of the new Brazilian domestic air- At JetBlue as well as with Azul, Neeleman line Azul (blbe in Portuguese) founded in 2008. not only provides the vision, but also knows to His vision for what an airline should be and bis listen to people who, o leadership style set him apart from most other sions. Neeleman takes it in stride and says, "Im leaders in the industry. His vision for JetBlue being totally deferential and patient....It'sbe was to make ing ur again and above all cause think the situation demands have to else. JetBlue Airways is dedicated to bringing trust the instincts of the people around me humanity back to air travel (JetBlue Airways (Judge, 2001: 131). At Azul, he has a simila Customer Bill of Rights, 2007). "As long as we proach having started a 'hearts and minds can carr delight our customers, there's plenty of paign to get feedback from potential customers business for us" (BW Online, 2003), states even before the airline started operations David Necleman. For many years at JetBlue, (Schmall, 2008). Nesleman believes that "If you Neeleman, successfully navigated turbulent treat people well, the company's philosophy timca with a no-layoffs strategy and expansion goes, they'll treat the customer well. The senior plans that targeted routes that other airlines vice president of operations at JetBlue echoed dropped. Neeleman was outsted in 2007 after the focus on people: 'There is no "they here. It's che airline was caught in a wave of negative 'we' and 'us" (Salter, 2004). "We select the best publicity after it kept passengers in places on people, but we do extensive training to make sure the tarmac for seven hours during a storm. they understand what is expected of them. ... Nceleman provided a very public and sincere Our leadership are held to a very bigh standard as apology (posted on the Web at http://www.jet- to how they treat the other crew members," says blue.com/about/ourcompany apology/index. Necieman, regarding JetBlue's commitment to d. JetBlue instituted a much publicized its employees (Ford, 2004:141). Passenger Bill of Rights to ensure that its much Azul is made of much of the same mold as valued customers continue to remain loyal JetBlue: simple reservations systeros, low prices JetBlue has daily flights to more than 50 more leg room, online Internet, and a TV in destinations in the United States and Central every seat (Scanlon, 2008): Neelernan is obses America. Continuing to rely on the principles of sive about staying in touch with both customers its founder, the airline emphasizes teamwork and and employees. He stops by the call center at quick decisions and implementation. Top execu- Azul regularly, talks to the trainees, and reminds tives and managers consistently interact with his executives to talk to customers and those employess and customers to listen and get feed closest to them because we think we know what back from them to keep addressing their con- happens. But they really know" (Mount, 2008). cerns (Saiter, 2004), a practice Neeleman has He strongly believes that "it is the people that aiso instituted at Azul (Mount, 2008). The atten- make it happen" (Ford, 2004: 140). Neeleman's tion to employees and customers has earned leadership style and magic seems to be continu JetBlue high ratings and its former CEO awards ing to work. Azul is growing fast, with 11,000 : passengers when it started up-to-45,000 in January of 2009 (Brazil's Azul, 2009), and is flying 70 percent full, which close to 20 percent better than Brazil's biggest airline (Mouni, 2009). In the couple of years it has been in opera- tions, Azul has doubled doubled its revenues