Success Quote by David Neeleman

In the mouth of an airline founder, “I also really like getting to know our crew members better” is doing two jobs at once: it’s a personal preference dressed as corporate philosophy, and it’s a subtle rebuttal to the stereotype of the remote, spreadsheet-first executive. Neeleman’s “also” matters. It implies a list already in progress - efficiency, safety, customer experience - and then adds something softer, almost disarmingly human. That small adverb signals that relationship-building isn’t the main KPI, but it’s being smuggled in as a legitimate part of leadership.

The phrase “crew members” is equally strategic. Airlines run on hierarchy, but “members” flattens the org chart just enough to sound collaborative without surrendering authority. “Getting to know” suggests intimacy without promising structural change: it’s about proximity, not necessarily power-sharing. In industries where frontline labor is heavily regulated, unionized, and chronically stressed, that distinction is the subtext. Listening can be sincere and still function as a pressure valve.

Contextually, this reads like founder-brand storytelling: the leader who walks the operation, chats on the ramp, learns names. It’s a culture signal aimed at two audiences. Internally, it frames morale and retention as something the top cares about. Externally, it reassures customers and investors that the company’s “service” isn’t just training modules; it’s relationships. The genius is how low-stakes it sounds. No manifesto, no promised revolution - just “I really like,” a sentence built to feel authentic while quietly defining what kind of company he wants to be seen running.