Ginger Hardage is the just-retired Senior Vice President of Culture and Communications from an iconic American company with one of the most celebrated cultures of all time, Southwest Airlines. With her background in marketing, Ginger started her career in the oil industry, then moved to the insurance industry before serving for 25 years at Southwest.
In this episode of The Culture Gap, Ginger shares more about the earliest days of her life that shaped her personal values, and how she thinks about corporate culture. She discusses her time and experiences at Southwest Airlines, giving some insights into how Southwest connects with its employees. She also shares a powerful case for culture that would convince the most skeptical CEO, so be sure to tune in. Welcome to Culture Gap.
Key Takeaways:
[:44] Daniel introduces his guest for this episode — Ginger Hardage.
[1:49] Who is Ginger Hardage?
[2:40] What were some of Ginger's personal values that were instilled her as a child? How did that help her navigate inside a company like Southwest Airlines?
[5:07] How would Ginger define ‘corporate culture’?
[7:15] There is no way to really import the culture of another organization.
[7:34] Southwest only hires about 2% of all applicants. What is it like to be part of the 2%?
[9:45] How would Ginger make the case for the power of culture to a skeptical CEO?
[11:55] What are Ginger’s thoughts on the gaps between the strategy of a firm and the culture of a firm, particularly at Southwest Airlines.
[14:36] The CEO should be the Chief Culture Officer. What is Ginger’s perspective on that?
[17:17] Ginger speaks to the importance of leaders supporting and engaging with their employees.
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