Live From The HIBT Summit: David Neeleman of JetBlue Airways

How I Built This · 13 Feb 2020 · 17m

What this episode covers

David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue, Azul, and Breeze Airways, discusses how his undiagnosed attention deficit disorder fueled his entrepreneurial hyperfocus and resilience. He explains his operational strategy of requiring executives to speak directly with passengers to maintain customer-centric culture, a practice that helped JetBlue recover from the 2007 ice storm crisis. Neeleman details the 'entrepreneur's dilemma' where he was ousted from JetBlue by a board favoring professional management, leading him to build Azul into Brazil's largest airline by value. He emphasizes that hiring for attitude and creating a culture where employees feel proud to work for the brand is critical to success in service industries.

Mentioned

Companies
JetBlue, Azul, Breeze Airways, Southwest, Spirit, Starbucks, Patagonia
Also
Dr. Distraction

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