When I read non-fiction, it is usually biographies and autobiographies. As my career continues to develop, I find studies in leadership probative, both in a cautionary and instructive way. But while leadership and dominance are not synonymous, sometimes leadership just shines right through. That’s the sort of leadership I notice when I watch American Airlines CEO Doug Parker.
Leadership: Watch Doug Parker Dominate
Parker and other U.S. airlines CEOs were at the White House last week to discuss a second payroll support package as the October 1st deadline looms. Addressing a press gaggle after the meeting, Parker stole the show.
Watch him and watch United CEO Scott Kirby to his right. He takes the front and center. He takes off his mask and Kirby follows. A reporter asks if the the CEOs will answer questions or issue a statement, and seemingly spur-of-the-moment Parker decides for everyone that a statement will be issued…and he will issue it. And speaking contemporaneously, he does a good job.
And he does so nonchalantly, with his hands in his pockets.
He pauses and turns to Southwest CEO Gary Kelly instead of his former colleague and protege Kirby. That’s equally interesting because Southwest Airlines does not plan to furlough any workers this years, whether additional payroll support is offered or not.
After Kelly finishes his statement, a reporter asks a question and Kelly turns around to go back inside. But Parker stops to answer. As more questions are shouted, he says, “Thanks y’all” and also turns around and the others follow right behind him.
CONCLUSION
Again, I’m not reducing leadership down to who is the most assertive or aggressive. Quite the contrary, the most important leadership quality of integrity is often hidden from the public view, for it involves doing the right thing even when no one is looking. But there’s something to be said for Parker confidently taking center stage and answering on behalf of everyone. Anyway, not sure how much we can draw from it, but it really caught my attention…
Mask up, Doug. It’s the law.
It’s not a law, it’s a guideline.
If it’s a law, which legislature passed it? Which executive signed it?
Besides, they’re outside in fresh air.
Also arguably the only one that really needs this money. While there most likely won’t be a bankruptcy from any US airlines, AA could be forced to shrink further to preserve cash and come out of this crisis as the #2 or 3 US carrier when they entered it as #1 in size.
I think you mean:
“speaking extemporaneously”
in the last sentence of the third paragraph.
This man, the “de facto” president of “A.A.” should shut his mouth and resign.
Doug Parker, a.k.a. “Dougwieser” so called by employees because of his MULTIPLE D.U.I. offenses in Texas and other states enjoys his freedom while you or I would have been heavily fined and incarcerated for behaving like the alcoholic he is.
Furthermore, Parker is responsible for multiple bankruptcies of other airlines he has presided over and ran them into the ground: which he is doing exactly that to A.A. today. A.A. is losing more money than any other of the bug three by at least 10% more because of his poor decisions to take on ridiculously high debt/interest loans which would be nearly impossible to service even in the best of economic times.
I could go on and on, Mr. Klint. But suffice it to say, “the emperor wears no clothes”. A more perfect adage is that American senior management is promoted to the point of incompetence and “Dougwieser” is the perfect example.
Wouldn’t you feel and act overconfident and full of hubris if you had such a golden parachute to save you no matter how horrible your job performance? And, your company would not be allowed to fail because of RIDICULOUS federal government loans that will NEVER be repaid? Shades of the 2008 bank failures when every bank president ran their companies into the ground and not a single one was prosecuted by the Obama administration after they nearly scuttled the entire global economy, and given billions of dollars in equity to save the banks that these criminal C.E.O.s were responsible for! Talk about a “gutless wonder” of a presidential administration!
You’d stroll along with your hands in pocket like you couldn’t be touched too.
Well, have a “drink on me”, Mr. Dougwieser. I hear you can play a mean fiddle while your company burns to the financial ground.
How does Parker (Dougwieser) keep his job? Had this been an employee or crew member unable to cover their shift (or flight) because they are in jail (for their third DWI) it would have lead to immediate termination.
Absolutely he is the Frank Lorenzo of the 21st century. It’s a race to the bottom of who can destroy the most airlines. This guy needs to go.
Nice to see him doing something business related for a change instead of bragging on social media about how the important CEO made nice nice with a lowly black flight attendant.
Nothing like a daily dose of racism on the travel blogs…twat
Sorry, but the amount he’s worth from ruining the best U.S. airline would make anyone confident. He makes my skin crawl.
Let American Airlines fold. Jet Blue, Alaskan and maybe bring back Virgin America. AA is and always will be a money pit.
Everything in this article confuses the actions of the alpha in the room with true leadership.
Read my final paragraph…
He was clearly the most desperate. His tone and demeanor while trying to appear calm betray his underlying tensions. Compare with GK who has the same demeanor that he always carries.
And your ” conclusion ” which is more os a disclaimer does not undo your article and in itself contradicts its first sentence.
I agree – that’s what a fool believes.
I’m not sure you’re right but inept leadership is still inept. Parker and his crew have done a world of hurt to American. They were fine at running a small regional airline but that just didn’t scale up. With Kirby running United, 2/3 of the legacy Big 3 have gotten worse as a result.
None of this is to personally disparage Parker as a person. Despite his breathtaking ineptitude running American, I genuinely think that he’s a good guy on a non-business level.
I know him personally . Can assure you he is a great guy. Now in business is a different story. Leased 22 787 in March. Yeahhh, what a move. Spending 500 million rewritting check-in software. Yeahhh. Continuing to refurbish the old 737 to take more people like in a can of sardines. Yeahh. Management levels continue to be 5 levels deep. Yeahh. Future revenues at 20 billon with debt at 40 billion. Yeahh. Can you spell BK?
I think Congress, the White House, and Trumpty will negotiate on their terms, not the airlines. If the Government chooses not to deal by Oct 1st, they probably will do it when they are ready to do so. Clearly it seems like they’re in no big hurry.
Nobody is wanting airlines to go out of business for sure, but really you’re going to solicit for MORE (billions) money to pay for OVERSTAFFING ?? Why are you paying 100% of your people to operate 40% of your flights – what are 60% of them going to do, just stand around and look at one another? Wow, everyone in this country wants to go to a job and watch the busy-bees work while they (if even bored) get paid to do nothing or next-to-nothing. That would be called unemployment – so let your airline staff apply for unemployment like everyone else in this country is doing or will have to do.
How about this government paying banks and landlords the mortgages and rents they are never going to collect from tenants with job loss and many without any chance of recall. The airlines on the other hand can downsize and then build up again. What madness.
“But there’s something to be said for Parker confidently taking center stage and answering on behalf of everyone.” Could be he drew the short straw to be group spokesperson. From 2Q financial filings, it looks like AAL is in the most dire need.
Good evening if they want to spend 25 billion again for a bailout let’s get this coronavirus under control then go back to Flying until cut them off let them furlough and find other ways to survive if not this country is going to die with the covid-19
I have covid 19 and work in aviation. My job is very important. Please give airlines billions so a select few can benifit.
God bless merica
Bidin 2020
True leadership is exemplified in Gary Kelly. He’s balancing what’s best for stockholders and employees, something Doug Parker has never done. True leadership is preparing for the bad times while things are good; again, Gary Kelly. I also believe you’ve fallen for fools gold.
Mr. Parker spoke as he did because AA is the airline with the most need of the stimulus money. Mr. Kelly is there for the food spread. Government money isn’t needed but welcomed by Southwest
ROTFL! Love it.
They’ve been offered loans. Let them take the loans and shut up. They don’t deserve one penny of this taxpayer’s money.
Mr Parker can’t hold a candle to Ed Bastian.
Who refuses to attend a White House meeting.
Going to a filmed press conference, at the WH, mindful of all the advice about avoiding touching the face…so the guy on the far left takes off his mask and immediately wipes his nose with his fingers. True leadership….
Does all the not one penny to airlines people realize when you lay employees off, they will be eligible and receive government benefits like unemployment, food stamps and other social programs benefits. So it still cost us the taxpayers money either way, it is not a zero sum game.
Mathew
These airlines need to get with the real world and deal with the pandemic as a reality. Every other business needs to and is doing that. No exceptions for anyone or any business.
What would happen if the federal government subsidized the airlines again and we had a Civil Aeronautics Board?
No more supply and demand! No more competition !
You cannot have it both ways.
Either give airlines money during the pandemic, or get rid of competition and subsidize the carriers, requiring service to important cities!
Airlines could bid over slots at airports, charge higher prices , and have a family plan.
Frequent flyers could have a yearly Airpass that was paid for by corporations..!
You cannot have a great air transportation system unless you know the history of the airlines , the CAB, and either subsidize the airlines or bail them out for every pandemic, as well as for other disasters!
It is not the fault of the airline or management!
No one saw the pandemic coming!
Linda T: You may be willing to open your bank account to the airlines, but I am sure there are plenty of people who are not ready to do so. As someone who flies internationally and within the US at least a few times a year, I say let the US airlines fail….and fail hard. The US airlines have consistently provided the worst service both onboard and off the aircraft for the past 25 or 30 years. They charge more, cram in more, pay less, and have systematically instituted a new charge for everything other than air onboard. I am waiting for them to put credit card readers on the bathrooms and emergency oxygen masks.
This is a capatolist country, businesses that treat their customers and employees like dirt while charging more and more should go out of business to make way for those that can do far better. It’s folks like you and the government that keep bailing them out that condemn the rest of us flying in seats sized for toddlers and absolutely no service what so ever. Who in their right mind thinks that after they pay for a plane ticket, that they should then have to pay extra for a seat!
Foreign airlines treat you like royalty on board. They operate in ways that are so much more efficient and more effective than the airlines here. When the unexpected happens, they bend over backwards to fix it. Things the US airlines forgot how to do years ago in constant attempts to make more money. Well, maybe if their executives would have saved some of the profits they have made making air travel a living hell, they wouldn’t need their third major bail out paid with our money. It’s called business continuity….they should look it up if we are unlucky enough that they should survive.
No amount of savings of airline profit would have been able to support the current airline labor costs, equipment costs and strive to ride out a pandemic that has to confirmed end date. Take for example Southwest who says they have enough cash to operate for the next 2 years. And you think that’s still not enough. Foreign carriers are subsidized by their local governments so you’re comparing apples to oranges. At this point.
So your argument is we either need to subsidize airlines now or we will have to subsidize airlines later? Really? You don’t see any other options? Like maybe let the airlines downsize to adjust to demand, and compete in a free market? What about a other businesses? And why are airlines, and their employees, more special than all other businesses? Eventually taxpayers have to pay for all these handouts, you know.
It’s No Wonder American is the most ..DESPERATE.. Over the last year or so flying many different carriers.. AMERIICAN. IS THE WORST…
Customer Service.. and the attitude of all the employees . I’ve had to talk to and deal with is atrocious.. like what happened to the rail industry.. ..they where in the railroad business not the transportation business… THIS IS AMERICAN..They are in the….. Airline business….
Not the people transportation business…. They are my LAST CHOICE.. for taking flights..
Of course Mr Parker is confident just as back when 9/11 took place they know win or lose they win all the money.
This is not just a problem with airlines, it’s the new “corporate welfare” system in place!
Leaders of companies half heartedly run these companies suck billions in profits, get all the tax breaks while tax payers (workers) pay for their mistakes and greed!
There is no accountability for these large companies anymore, only bailouts and further pushing their employees into indentured slavery.
This is snake oil sales on a grand scale!
Parker was installed for a single purpose – to loot shareholder equity. Mission accomplished. Borrow billions to buy back overpriced stock.
I am dismayed at the new AA company culture “WOKE”. We now cater to a .5% of the protected class and everyone’s got to tow the line or be terminated. It is a miserable place to work. That is what Parker has done!
I am pretty sure that AA violated the requirements of Section 4112 of the CARES act. There were to be no involuntary action taken against employees prior to 10/1. My self and 5,000 other management and support staff were laid off on 7/10. AAL used the CARES act funds to pay us through 9/30 but there was no severance package unless one took one of the veos which were a joke. The intent of the CARES act was to keep employee levels the same prior to 10/1. AAL leadership are corrupt and unethical. How these jokers get their jobs and keep them when stuff like this happens is beyond me.