The leadership characteristics that helped Southwest Airlines move forward is the responsibility of the leader. Responsible leadership is defined as making business decisions that, upon the interests of the shareholders and also other stakeholders, for example employees, customers, suppliers, the context as well as the future generations (Definition of responsible leadership, n.d). From the text showed that the leader have the responsibility on his staff, he is caring his staff. The way to prove my point is three days after 9/11, James Parker announced that the company would be keeping all of its employees when the ramifications of the shutdown forced other airlines to cut staff. When he promised to keep all of its employees, the employees do not worry whether when their last day to work is, so the task which he delegated to employees can be doing well. And the employees created the loyalty to the company due to this action. Even when the company wanted to help reduce the company’s workforce and cuts cost, it also without laying off its employees but it was offering voluntary buyout packages to all employees who were willing to retire early.
Besides that, encouragement also is another leadership characteristic of the leader of Southwest Airline. The encouragement in leadership is defined as the action of motivating other people with the whole new courage, spirit, hope, support or confidence (Jeremiah, 2005). The power of encouragement in leadership is very unique and powerful. By implementing encouragement in leadership, an encouraged environment is created that will inspired the followers to do better. According to the case study, when other airlines are cutting staff after the terrorist attacks, Southwest Airlines is the only airlines that not only to promise to keep staff, as well as issuing a profit- sharing payment. Issuing a profit-sharing payment is for