Servant Leadership at Walmart and American Airlines
The practice of servant leadership involves providing service based on the needs of others to achieve a higher purpose or good. This type of leadership ensures that every employee’s voice is respected, increasing the likelihood that everyone will be heard. Companies realize service leadership opportunities in different ways as they define their boundaries in business process organization. Walmart and American Airlines have their own unique ways of serving consumers.
Walmart
Walmart’s service leadership practices are implemented through two main areas: developing an internal culture and communicating with customers. First, Walmart’s culture is developed by the people within it, who demonstrate their strengths and offer to use them to fully satisfy consumers. Second, Walmart focuses on the consumer (Purpose, 2023). In practice, servant leaders provide employees with opportunities and support, affirm their value, and work in partnership (Values, 2023). As a result, by creating a conscientious and equitable culture, the staff is willing to help customers.
Walmart’s mission is to help people spend less while improving their quality of life. This mission is based on the notion that everyone can live a better life, and helping to do so is not difficult (Purpose, 2023). Walmart’s vision is to help every family make life easier. The vision assumes that Walmart can improve its employees’ lives and make them happier.
American Airlines
Leadership at American Airlines is a dialogue between direct supervisors and all employees. The practice of service is realized through mutual help and caring for each other and for the airline’s customers (American Airlines, 2021). As the largest airline, American Airlines offers its customers opportunities in comfort and diverse service; that is, it directly fulfills the function of service. At the same time, it is worth noting that the company never forgets that partnership and attitude development are at its core. Therefore, the philanthropic approach to doing business is the right one for American Airlines (American Airlines, 2021). The company is dedicated to training and mentoring because that is the only way to achieve shared values.
American Airlines’ mission is to become Americans’ favorite airline and provide everyone with quality service. This mission is based on the airline’s high performance. American Airlines’ vision is to achieve affordability, reliability, and professionalism in fulfilling its duty of care to customers (About us, 2023). This aspiration aligns with how the organization presents its leadership and why it offers every employee the opportunity to become a leader.
Comparison of the Companies’ Mission and Vision
Mission
The similarities between Walmart and American Airlines are reflected in their desire to provide a comfortable service, regardless of one’s standard of living or social well-being. Both companies understand and recognize the value of a people-based approach. At the same time, Walmart is more focused on reducing families’ spending on groceries and other goods from a financial perspective. By contrast, American Airlines is interested in winning sympathy through quality.
Vision
The similarities between Walmart’s and American Airlines’ visions are increasing the availability of quality service and achieving ethical treatment of each person. Both companies assume that professionalism fosters a relationship with consumers. At the same time, American Airlines prioritizes the care of its employees and their mutual support, as it strives to develop strong leaders who, in turn, help customers. Walmart prioritizes its customers over its staff. The same type of leadership can be multidirectional, depending on the values a company chooses to hold.
Summary
Walmart and American Airlines share a similar mission and vision: both companies believe that quality service is not a privilege, so neither should limit the public to basic services. At the same time, Walmart prioritizes the customer and the financial aspect of service, while American Airlines selects its employees and leadership organization.
References
About us. (2023). American Airlines.
American Airlines. (2021). ESG report 2021. American Airlines.
Purpose. (2023). Corporate Walmart.
Values. (2023). Career Walmart.