“Turnaround Time: Uniting an Airline and its Employees in the Friendly Skies”
by Oscar Munoz with Brian DeSplinter
2023/Harper Business$32/220 pages
If you didn’t know the whole story, you’d think that 37 was Oscar Munoz’s cosmic number. Thirty-seven days after becoming CEO of United Airlines, he’d finished up a run near his Chicago home when he began to feel ill. He called 911 when he realized he was having a heart attack. Thirty-seven minutes later, he was connected to life support. In America, someone dies of cardiac arrest every 37 seconds.
Prior to his health scare, Munoz had been on a trip across the country on a fact-finding journey for his new position. At that time, United Airlines had a lot to fix as complaints were sky-high. Fortunately, before he fell ill, Munoz had hired many talented people who took over while he was recuperating.
The way to turn a company around, he says, is to “Listen, learn, and only then lead” your employees. Listen not just to their phone calls and emails but visit them in their own spaces. Strive to pull everyone together as a team and always follow through, which shows that you’re paying attention. Ask for employee feedback.
Let customers vent, and heed their concerns. And remember that “trust is a commodity that resists an easy valuation. But when you need it, it’s priceless.”
There are two rather distinct ways to approach “Turnaround Time.” It’s either a personal biography with a business flair, or it’s the biography of a business with a personal touch. Either way, it’s an enjoyable read.
Current Issue - April 2024