Story: "Our staff don't deserve abuse"

I love stories! I’m a ‘visual’ person, so I recall presentations, talks, and articles much more clearly when they include a story. I also love the ‘a-ha’ moment when a listener gets the point of the story. Because they’ve reached the insight themselves, rather than being ‘told’, it’s much more likely to stick.
I’m always on the hunt for good stories that I can use in presentations and in coaching, and I thought I’d start sharing some of my favourites on the blog too…
My friend Emily and I were recently discussing organisational culture and the importance of managers ‘sticking up for’ their staff. I was reminded of one of my favourite leadership stories from Bob Sutton’s The No Asshole Rule.
An executive from SouthWest airlines was flying on a business trip. As he was lining up to check in he witnessed another traveller abusing the check-in staff. He walked up to the customer, introduced himself and told them – “We’d rather you didn’t fly Southwest. Our staff don’t deserve abuse.” He then walked the customer over to the check-in counter of another airline and bought them a ticket.