The Leadership Style of Willie Walsh - In Quotes

Willie Walsh is a fascinating and topical example to use with students as they look at the role of leadership in business strategy…

The Telegraph have this super summary of some of Walsh’s best quotes from his long and eventful career leading various airlines.

Walsh describes his own management style as “brutally honest”.  Walsh joined British Airways as CEO in 2005 and has been at the forefront of significant change in the business, weathering severe economic downturns, persistent industrial unrest, the chaotic opening of Heathrow Terminal 5 and te ongoing battle with Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic.  Most recently Walsh has masterminded the merger of British Airways and spanish carrier Iberia to form IAG (International Airlines Group) and has gone on to acquire British Midland International.

Some fantastic quotes in this series of 11 images and stories that seem to pain a pretty consistent picture of Walsh’s approach to leadership.

BUSS4 - a clash of culture and a failed takeover [24 May 2012]
Paul Polman (Unilever CEO) on cultural change, leadership, Asia and Corporate Social Responsibility [27 Apr 2012]
6 Essential M&A Cases: BA & Iberia Merge to Form IAG [23 Apr 2012]
Irene Rosenfeld on Leadership, Transformation, and THAT takeover [18 Apr 2012]
Takeovers and Mergers - Cost Synergies in Action at BMI [17 Apr 2012]
Revision Presentation - Leadership [5 Apr 2012]
IAG bid for BMI receives approval [3 Apr 2012]
Women & Leadership [22 Mar 2012]
Sony - All Change at the Top with a new CEO [12 Mar 2012]
Apple’s new CEO and a new iPad - A Change in Leadership [9 Mar 2012]
The Strategic Challenges Facing International Airlines Group - Interview with Willie Walsh [14 Feb 2012]
Ideas not Hierarchy Makes a Business - Steve Jobs on Teamwork & Culture [13 Feb 2012]
Innovation in Business - Perspectives from Stephen Elop (CEO of Nokia) [12 Feb 2012]
Leadership in a multinational business - what leadership style works best? [30 Jan 2012]
Leadership - Howard Schultz on the importance of leading an innovative culture [29 Jan 2012]
Leadership - what is the best leadership style? It depends on the “situation”! [29 Jan 2012]
Leadership - Tough decisions to turn Starbucks around [29 Jan 2012]
Leadership - 40 examples of leadership at the movies in just 120 seconds [29 Jan 2012]
Leadership - what qualities does an effective leader and manager have? [29 Jan 2012]
Schultz on Leadership, Love and the Competitive Advantage of Culture [29 Jan 2012]
Leadership - it’s not a popularity contest [29 Jan 2012]
Leadership and strategy: what decisions does the boss of Microsoft make? [29 Jan 2012]
Straight-talking answers to business questions - the examiners might hate some of this! [12 Dec 2011]
Consolidation on the cards as IAG claims deal to acquire BMI [6 Nov 2011]
Leadership video - A heartfelt apology from the boss [15 Oct 2011]
Management By Committee? Not At Apple [9 Oct 2011]
Leadership styles for effective change management - Morgan Freeman style [29 Sep 2011]
Autocratic leadership style in action - Basil v Manuel [22 Sep 2011]
Inspiring leadership? [19 Sep 2011]
Leadership - Farewell to Steve Jobs [24 Aug 2011]
The Case for Transformation [29 Jul 2011]
Sir Ken Robinson on Creative Leadership [20 Jul 2011]
Rupert Murdoch and Leadership - Should a CEO Know What’s Going On? [20 Jul 2011]
Leaders’ Weaknesses [4 Jul 2011]
Leadership, Culture and Trust - A Letter from Sir Richard Branson [1 Jul 2011]
Retrenchment for Thorntons following strategic review [28 Jun 2011]
ResearchBuster: New Leaders and Strategic Change [16 Jun 2011]
CSR & Strategy - Why the Cooperative Group changed to survive [16 Jun 2011]
Leadership styles - the importance of listening [14 Jun 2011]
Leadership - a crisis of confidence? [13 Jun 2011]
What makes Ferguson great? [27 May 2011]
CSR and Business Legislation - The Bribery Act comes to town [5 May 2011]
Leadership and the Golden Circle [21 Apr 2011]
Leadership - a triumph of youth over experience? [6 Apr 2011]
Leadership Resource - Every Little Helps [16 Mar 2011]
Howard Schultz - A Changed Starbucks. A Changed C.E.O [13 Mar 2011]
Leadership - can Apple really be a one-man band? [19 Jan 2011]
Training, social immobility and tuition fees - KPMG’s blueprint solution [13 Jan 2011]
Lessons in leadership [5 Jan 2011]
Meet Sir Terry Leahy at the Business Teacher National Conference 2011 [18 Dec 2010]
Bruce Poon Tip exploits a huge Gap in the adventure market [12 Dec 2010]
Leadership in action - A Day in the Life of Willie Walsh [25 Oct 2010]
Leadership skills of the new CEO drive profits at Pret [8 Oct 2010]
Culture & Change - The Challenge Facing Nokia [27 Sep 2010]
Leadership & Strategy - “Welcome to Nokia” [20 Sep 2010]
Can new leadership revive Nokia’s fortunes [12 Sep 2010]
Ryanair contemplates a change in leadership style? [12 Sep 2010]
AQA BUSS4 Section B Practice Question - Starbucks [15 Jun 2010]
AQA BUSS4 Section B Practice Question - British Airways [15 Jun 2010]
What must it feel like to be the ‘most hated’ CeO? [10 Jun 2010]
Are fringe benefits being cut? [5 Jun 2010]
Recession Strategy - For Airlines it is all about Unit Costs [2 Jun 2010]
Sir Richard Branson on Virgin Atlantic Business Strategy [26 May 2010]
BUSS4 - Leadership in a Changing Environment [16 May 2010]
Leadership comes to the fore in post-recession UK business [3 May 2010]
The Sense of a Goose [28 Apr 2010]
A useful resource on leadership and management [22 Apr 2010]
BUSS4 - Building exam skills [21 Apr 2010]
Starbucks - the Famous Strategic Change Memo from 2007 [21 Apr 2010]
Motivation, Leadership & Culture: Ban the Boss (BBC) [24 Mar 2010]
BUSS4 and British Airways - a marriage made in heaven [1 Mar 2010]
Strategy in the UK Recession - What 69 UK CEOs Did About It [22 Feb 2010]
Contingency planning failure leads to customer service disaster [12 Feb 2010]
AQA BUSS4 Section B Practice Question - BAA & the Heathrow Third Runway [7 Feb 2010]
Who would you place as the 50 emerging business leaders of the world? [3 Feb 2010]
Flexible working thrives in the recession [1 Feb 2010]
Leadership sets the culture for a thriving retail brand [31 Jan 2010]
Financial motivation at British Airways - Cabin Crew Pay Compared [16 Dec 2009]
What’s behind the BA and Iberia Merger? [19 Nov 2009]
The UK: A nation of accidental managers [10 Nov 2009]
Q&A - What is the continuum of leadership? [30 Oct 2009]
Q&A - Explain the four main leadership styles [30 Oct 2009]
Q&A - What do Leaders Do? [30 Oct 2009]
Q&A - What is Leadership? [30 Oct 2009]
Leadership styles in action - Dead Poets Society [28 Oct 2009]
Leadership styles in action - Mel Gibson [12 Oct 2009]
Leadership styles in action - Mike Bassett [12 Oct 2009]
Police caution the CEO for insisting on better customer service [25 Sep 2009]
BA cuts out the cost of short-haul meals [29 Jul 2009]
Sources of finance: BA goes for the convertible bond [17 Jul 2009]
Work For Free?  Or Pie In The Sky? [16 Jun 2009]
A stunning example of how wage costs can differ for the same job [10 Jun 2009]
Business strategy video - two interviews with CEO of Virgin Atlantic [26 May 2009]
BA posts a record loss [22 May 2009]
Trading down - business class feels the pinch [17 Apr 2009]
The worst trading environment the airline industry has ever faced [1 Aug 2008]
Business Strategy - BA plans merger with Iberia [29 Jul 2008]
Can Willie Walsh save his job? [2 Apr 2008]
British Airways warning is a wonderful strategy case for students [7 Mar 2008]

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