WHEN TRUST STARTS TO SLIP

A few months ago, I wrote about how iconic brands aren’t built by accident. One of my examples was Southwest Airlines. Just weeks later, the airline made national headlines for major changes that signaled a clear departure from its founder-led philosophy. 

Rollin King and Herb Kelleher, Southwest’s late cofounders, didn’t just build an airline; they built a movement. One rooted in trust, simplicity, and service to the “common man.” No baggage fees. No change fees. No assigned seating. They were on a mission to make air travel affordable for everyone.

Now, without either founder, Southwest has slowly moved away from the principles that once defined it. While changes were released incrementally, the introduction of bag fees, assigned seating, and loyalty program restrictions have raised questions among longtime customers about whether the company still stands for what it once did.

Read more in When Brands Stray: Southwest Airlines and Losing a Founder's Vision.

This is how it starts. When a brand goes back on its Forever Agreements, trust diminishes with its Ideal Stakeholders. 

So how do you protect your brand and maintain trust with your Ideal Stakeholders? You define your Forever Agreements — the foundational commitments that keep your vision and values intact. And when it’s time to pass the reins, you make those agreements clear enough to guide others, even if you’re no longer in the room.

PERSPECTIVES

“The business of business is people.” — Herb Kelleher

“Start with why. People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”
― Simon Sinek

MARK MY WORDS

When I founded Ninety, we knew the most important work wasn’t just building great software. It was building a great company grounded in purpose and clarity. And that meant getting clear on what we stood for.

That’s where Forever Agreements come in. They’re not slogans or quarterly goals. They’re the commitments that define who we are, who we serve, and why we exist. For Southwest, two of those agreements were crystal clear: a commitment to the ICP — the everyday traveler, not just the high spender — and a Compelling Value Proposition rooted in low-cost, friendly service. That’s what built trust.

But trust fades when those commitments are no longer protected. What happened to Southwest isn’t unique; it’s what happens when founders step away and those agreements aren’t preserved.

This is why I believe Forever Agreements must be made explicit, shared widely, and defended through every stage of growth. Because no one else is going to protect them but you.

So ask yourself: Are my Forever Agreements clear and consistently communicated? Are they guiding my decisions at every level? Or are they fading and slowly unraveling the clarity and trust my brand was built on?

WORK 9.0

The Book Is Here

If you've been following along on Substack, you’ve seen me unpack the big ideas behind my new book on the future of work and leadership.

Now it’s available. In Work 9.0: The Evolution of Work, I share how we can build organizations where more people find meaning in their work and their lives.

[Learn More]