What I've Learned in My First Days as Delta's New CEO - ED BASTEN

For more than 15 years, Delta Air Lines has been my second home, and its people have been my extended family. So when I was named incoming CEO in February, I knew how I wanted to spend the first few months on the job: Connecting with my Delta family across the globe and hearing firsthand their advice, their questions, their worries and their hopes for the future.

 Now that I’ve been officially in the role for about a month, here's what I'd tell anyone starting a new job or getting promoted.

The experience will be both exhilarating and humbling. I've gotten great advice from experienced Delta veterans on how to maintain our profitability as we continue to grow as a global company. Younger employees have shown me their infectious enthusiasm and they have taught me a lot about how to reach out to the next generation of travelers and earn their loyalty. And the countless suggestions and examples I have heard on how we can do things better have shown me firsthand that the spirit of innovation is alive and well at Delta.

Get out of the office. Visiting old friends and making new ones among our flight attendants, pilots, engineers, maintenance technicians, customer service agents and others reminded me of why I’ve always been enthralled by Delta. It’s because the deep culture here that puts employees at the center of the enterprise. Our culture is what makes us unique, and it’s the most powerful advantage we have over our competitors.

Respect the culture. CEOs always talk about their company's culture. But it is especially critical at a global airline like Delta, where the performance of our people is the chief factor ensuring a smooth operation and making sure our customers receive the experience they deserve.

Just consider that on every flight, a small team of Delta pilots and flight attendants operates a $100 million asset. They ensure the safety and comfort of more than 100 people. And at 35,000 feet, they do it with virtually no oversight from management. The performance of that flight crew and those on the ground supporting them can impact multiple other flights, because every delay slows other flights later in the day in a "ripple effect" than can snarl operations nationwide, leaving customers frustrated and unhappy.

The level of trust that we must have with our people to make everything work on nearly 5,000 flights every day is unprecedented.

Recognize — and reward — your team. When I'm asked how Delta achieved the status of the most reliable of the major airlines, and one routinely recognized for great customer service, I always point to the performance of our people and the culture that underlies it. During the difficult years after 9-11, it was the employee-focused culture that kept Delta alive, even after many had written us off. Our employees literally saved the airline, and they are similarly responsible for Delta's success today.

But keeping a values-based culture vibrant and alive isn't easy. It takes a relentless focus and commitment, and it has to be more than just lip service. That's why we have invested heavily in our people, and they know they will share in the company's success.

One of the first things I did after being named incoming CEO was celebrate Profit Sharing Day, when we paid out $1.5 billion to our employees — the equivalent to 21 percent of their annual pay. It was the largest single profit-sharing payout in the history of U.S. business. Just a few months before we had given 14.5 percent raises across the board.

Even more importantly, our people are empowered to take ownership of what they do, to innovate and find solutions to the problems that confront them on a daily basis. They know that if they are trying to take care of our customers, Delta will back them up. That is a powerful tool to get people engaged in what they do and can turn them into passionate ambassadors for the company.

All the time I have spent with Delta people has both energized and humbled me as I step into this leadership role. It makes me confident that we have only begun in our quest to become the No. 1 airline for our customers, employees and investors. I plan to continue keeping the pulse of Delta people in the months and years to come. Because with all the responsibilities that come with being CEO, acting as the steward of our shared culture is by far the most important.

Written by


Ed Bastian
Chief Executive Officer at Delta Air Lines