Everybody in Texas would tell me that they thought I was nuts trying to start Southwest Airlines. There probably weren't 10 people in the state who would have given a plug nickel for our chances of making a dollar. So sometimes, you need a little courage, too, just to buck popular opinion.

It takes nerves of steel to stay neurotic.

If employees aren't satisfied, they won't promote the product we need.

One piece of advice that always stuck in my mind is that people should be respected and trusted as people, not because of their position or title.

Keep costs low and spirits high, and the people of Southwest Airlines will keep LUV in the air.

Your employees come first. And if you treat your employees right, guess what? Your customers come back, and that makes your shareholders happy. Start with employees and the rest follows from that.

If the employees come first, then they're happy. A motivated employee treats the customer well. The customer is happy so they keep coming back, which pleases the shareholders. It's not one of the enduring green mysteries of all time, it is just the way it works.