Herb Kelleher

“Culture is intangible. It's spiritual. You can't buy it.”

“I think my greatest moment in business was when the first Southwest airplane arrived after four years of litigation, and I walked up to it and I kissed that baby on the lips and I cried.”

“Nothing kills your company's culture like layoffs.”

“I'd say my mother made more of a difference to me than anyone else did. I know that's a conventional and perhaps mundane answer, but my family was blown apart at the start of World War II.”

“We've always operated on the thesis that a company can have a personality, that people can be themselves, and be very successful in business at the same time.”

“I want to see Texas remain an entrepreneurial powerhouse in the United States.”

“I forgive all personal weaknesses except egomania and pretension.”

“Southwest isn't a 'This is my job, that's your job' kind of company. Being successful is our job, and we're willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that.”

“My suggestion is that if you need someone outside your company to prepare a mission statement for you, then you really don't know what your mission is, and you probably don't have one.”

“You can have parties without spending enormous sums of money.”