The Legacy of Herb Kelleher, Cofounder of Southwest Airlines

Herb Kelleher, the larger-than-life cofounder and longtime CEO of Southwest Airlines, died last week, and with him went a true business original. To him, Southwest Airlines was never just a company. It was a cause. The goal was not just to keep fares low and fly to more cities. The goal, in his words, was to “democratize the skies” — to make it as easy, affordable, and flexible, for average Americans to travel as it had always been for business travelers and the affluent. That mission may seem quaint now (mainly because Kelleher succeeded), but back when he started it was a revolutionary aspiration — and an essential contribution to America’s quality of life. In other words, it’s not what you sell, it’s what you stand for.