Howard Putnam: Former CEO of Southwest Airlines

“If you are looking for a helping hand, start at the end of your own arm.”

Again, not someone who is the most gifted of speakers, but he had the disadvantage of speaking at the end of very long day, to a 2/3rds empty audience. I wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to be speaking on, but, like the opening quote, I found he had a few things to say worth writing down. He talked about the importance of having a balanced propeller, keeping family, work, community and personal life in their proper balance can make the difference between soaring high and crashing and burning. He remarked that the motto for a good airline is the same for life, “Turbulence is inevitable, misery is optional.”

He also talked about the importance of treating everyone with respect, and told a story about his young son being seated and fussed over by a waitress, and then given his very own menu. The little boy turned and remarked to his mother in excitement, “Hey Mom! She thinks I’m a people!” Although he didn’t do very much to draw out the point after this, I loved this story because I thought it really illustrated an incredibly insightful point about succeeding in customer service, or just succeeding at being a good person. So often we overlook individuals because we decide, based on their clothes or their car or their accent, that they are not 'a people,' that they are not meaningful, and have nothing to offer or to teach us. It’s not just children who are hungry to be seen.

And that wrapped up the day at the motivational seminar. It was fascinating, insightful, and a great place to people watch. However, I don’t know that I would every actually PAY to attend one. (They try and sell an awful lot of stuff!) As fun as it will be to tell my grandchildren I sat in the same room with Colin Powell, the day provided more bragging rights than actual information. Spending 6-8 hours watching one TED talk after another would probably have provided as much, or more, enlightenment. However…I was in the same room with Colin Powell!!