PAGE
7BOOKS
18
FORTUNE.COM// FEB.1.
FLOAT ON, OKAY?
IT’S TIMEto reevaluate
the way we work, says
strategist and best-
selling author Rahaf
Harfoush.
Knowledge workers
and creatives know
what theyshould be
doing to enhance their
creative potential
and productivity; all it
takes is better sleep,
meditation, exercise,
and the right diet.
De-stress, and you’ll
achieve more!
But Harfoush has
observed that they’re
simply not doing it.
Why? Those tech-
niques are a Band-Aid
for a much deeper
struggle with the way
we work. That’s the
central conceit of her
bookHustle & Float
(out Feb. 19 from
Diversion Books).
Harfoush explores
the inherent conflict
between our outdated
understanding of pro-
ductivity (the hustle)
and the conditions
that feed creativity
and innovation (the
float). Her prescription
is a radical overhaul
of our current work
culture and a host of
actionable solutions
in this indispensable
reference for smarter
business.
—LINDSEY TRAMUTAAIRLINES ON A VISIT to Southwest Airlines’ head-
quarters in Dallas, employees strolling
the corridors stop to chuckle at a kind of mirth-filled
museum depicting its legendary cofounder hugging
and mugging. Workers can gawk at a life-size cutout of
Herb Kelleher in a sequin jumpsuit impersonating
Elvis, or push a button that plays recordings of the
icon’s laugh in three ascendingly boisterous versions.
“In the halls, you’d always hear him before you saw
him, and when you saw him, his greeting was a bear
hug,” a Southwest manager told this reporter in 2014.
Kelleher’s passing on Jan. 3 at age 87 evoked sundry
stories illustrating his fabled flamboyance. The obituar-
ies noted that when rivals claimed travelers thought too
much of themselves to fly such a no-frills airline, Kelle-
her posed in an ad with a bag over his head and jok-
ingly offered the bags to Southwest customers to hide
their shame. Indeed,
Kelleher’s wisecrack-
ing, chain-smoking,
hard-drinking image
sent the message that
a workforce of happy-
go-lucky oddballs
won the most loyal
customers.
But Kelleher’s
zaniness at times
obscured his achieve-
ment in building the
three pillars South-
west stands on to this
day. First, he virtually
invented—and then
successfully oper-
ated—a revolution-
ary business model,
the low-cost carrier.
Second, he deployed
prudent, low-risk
financial manage-
ment to keep South-
west’s wings level
in turbulent times.
Third, in an industry
with America’s worst
labor relations, in
which strikes brought
rivals to their knees,
Kelleher managed
to nurture what’s
arguably corporate
America’s most loyal
workforce.
In most compa-
nies, the bland lead
the bland. Corpo-
rate “fun” is seldom
viewed as an asset.
Herb Kelleher was
the clown with a
spine of steel, who
proved that spread-
ing fun could be the
greatest asset of all.Remembering Herb
Herb Kelleher’s exuberant demeanor belied an
unparalleled business savvy.By Shawn Tully
KELLEHER:^ MICHAELO’NEILL—CORBIS/GETTY^ IMAGES