Thu, Feb 02, 2012
Tells Attendees 'Turbulence Is Inevitable, But Misery Is
Optional'
Howard Putnam, former CEO of Southwest and Braniff Airlines,
presented his views on leadership Tuesdays as the keynote speaker
for the second day of the Naval Academy Leadership Conference.
"Attitude starts at the top," said Putnam to an audience of
students and faculty from both military and civilian universities.
"Make your vision clear, and if you say your people are important,
you better mean it."
Putnam possesses a varied background in the airline industry. He
learned to fly his father's J-3 Piper Cub while growing up on a
farm in Iowa, and his first job in the airline business was as a
baggage handler in Chicago at age 17. He worked his way through
thirteen different positions with United Airlines before becoming
the Group Vice President of Marketing. He took over as CEO of
Southwest in 1978. The company has been profitable every year for
over thirty years, a record unsurpassed by any other airline.
"I was impressed by Howard Putnam," said Midshipman 1st Class
Amanda Serfass. "It amazes me that he is such an accomplished
leader, but he's also extraordinarily humble. He stressed the
importance of not letting your ego take over while also boosting
the ego of those around you. What I took away from his speech is
that you have to reach down to the most subordinate person to get
suggestions and help build what you're working toward," said
Serfass.
Putnam became CEO of the financially-troubled Braniff
International in 1981, successfully leading it through chapter 11
bankruptcy and back to operation in 1984. Through this experience,
he learned that the challenges are what develop leadership. You
learn by taking on the difficult challenges. "Turbulence is
inevitable, but misery is optional," Putnam said. "Make turbulence
work for you."
Putnam is the author of "The Winds of Turbulence" on leadership
and ethics. Harvard University wrote a case study on his
experiences at Braniff, entitled "The Ethics of Bankruptcy," as a
model for handling stakeholders in crisis.
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