“Once I stopped worrying about my career, my career took off.” So says Doug Parker, the CEO of American Airlines.
In a wide ranging interview with the New York Times, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker offered extended thoughts on the 737 MAX and a detailed history of his career. He also offered some career advice.
Parker’s father was in the grocery business. He started as a meat cutter and moved up the ranks to become a senior vice president. It was in a grocery warehouse that Parker’s career begin. He shared of one anecdote:
I worked in a Teamsters warehouse in Detroit for Kroger. It was a learning experience. At one point, the break horn blows and I kept working. This guy pulls up next to me and goes, “What are you doing?” I said my work wasn’t done and I needed to keep going. He goes: “We don’t work through breaks. Drop that pallet and get into the break room now.”
Most of what they cared about was each other. They didn’t view their job as something that was fulfilling. They associated themselves more with the union that they were in than the company they worked for.
He contrasts this with himself:
My dad grew up on a farm, so we had a work ethic in the family.
I don’t think he meant to dismiss his union colleagues as lazy. But I wonder if he asked himself why they were so quick to do only the minimum required of them? Is “work ethic” synonymous with working harder and/or longer? Or must workers, union or not, be inspired by leaders to bring out the best in them?
Over his tenure at American Airlines, Parker has faced many labor issues. Most notably, American Airlines has battled hard against its mechanics, an issue Live and Let’s Fly has covered extensively.
Could it be that his trouble with labor stems from this childhood experience in a Kroger factory in Detroit?
Parker added:
Once I stopped worrying about my career, my career took off.
Yet Parker clearly distinguishes “worry” from the kind of worry-free attitude he used to describe his former union colleagues (“They didn’t view their job as something that was fulfilling.”)
In short, Parker’s view seems to be hard work leads to promotions. Be the best you can be and everything else will take care of itself. And while I agree that such a mindset works on an individual basis, I’m not sure that is a rallying cry for the troops, especially since not everyone can be a leader in a pyramid-like organization.
CONCLUSION
I love reading biographies of business executives and politicians. Not everyone was born with a silver spoon in their mouth and the stories of how “regular” men and women rose through the ranks makes for interesting case studies. While being at the right place at the right time always is a key element, the value of hard work cannot be dismissed. But hard work must be inspired, not assumed. Perhaps that is the element Parker is still missing.
I’d encourage you to read the entire story, which is written in Q & A format. I’ll address Parker’s thoughts on the 737 MAX and how he saved America West from liquidation in future posts.
image: American Airlines
For the guy (Parker) who has 3 DWI’s he should not be giving out advice to others!
Maybe if he started worrying about his career, American airlines could be a respectable airline again. Do you remember when their tagline was “American airlines, something special in the air”.
I wonder what type of person you are,maybe you do stuff a lot worse and nobody will ever know,because you will never be a CEO or anything close to that.
Parker sold out his employees and passengers, after 3 million Mike’s I’m done with American
Our company website posted a question at the time of the AA-USAir merger asking our opinion on the merger and Doug Parker. My comment was ‘How many DUI’s does it take to run our American Airlines?’ Poof- my comment was deleted so fast. Suddenly I had a lot of followers.
I believe it was Winston Churchill who once said ” It is unfortunate to be an idiot ; furthermore, it is unforgivable to publicly display it ” Doug , if you were as important as you seem to think you are , God Himself would be looking for work.
Trying to go off memory but didn’t DP tell fleet right after the merger, don’t plan on making a career at AA? And this idiot is giving career advice out? DON’T DRINK & DRIVE.
“And while I agree that such a mindset works on an individual basis, I’m not sure that is a rallying cry for the troops, especially since not everyone can be a leader in a pyramid-like organization.”
I get what you’re saying, but the troops are individuals themselves, so the motivation still has to come from within.
@John C. – 3 DWI’s is hardly relevant to this discussion. Everyone has done stupid things in their lives. As long as they don’t stay in that place, we can all learn from them.
3 DWI’s isn’t learning buddy
Hard work wins out. Lack of stress leads to a downhill trend, as seen in AA’s performance.
Do youself a favor quit soon , nobody likes you. You enforcing yourself on this company . Thats why we don’t look good
Lol at the comments here. How many of you have been CEO of 3 airlines, including the largest one out there by several measures? Folks must have amazing insight into what he get’s presented with on a daily basis I guess.
Is it me, or Doug Parker has the smallest fan club in the world?
If he would start paying attention to the many, many complaints consumers have about flying American Airlines, then, maybe, I could take him seriously.
Leaving aside Parker’s highly questionable judgment for a moment, the vast majority of highly successful people have made it to the top by trampling on other people to get there. He somehow missed mentioning that in his trite anecdotes.
No mention of the TWU/IAM association, National Mediation Board and AA meetings the last 3 weeks. going on 4 years of no contract