iraquideaths.com

Southwest is the darling of the industry. For us early-adopters, it answered many needs that were not being met by other airlines from cheap fares, to its own version of refundable airfare, to, for heavens sake, a sense of humor on the front lines, to the firs casual wear for attendants, which gave us all permission to get comfy on those airplane flights.

My gosh. They even freed us from that awful airplane food!

According to their Internet financial report, 2006 marked Southwests 34th consecutive year of profitability. They became a major airline in 1989, the year they exceeded the billion-dollar revenue mark, and it remains the nations most successful low-fare, high frequency, point-to-point carrier.

And how they do keep up with what we like! To quote their site, they have now boldly gone where no other airline and few Fortune 500 companies have gone before - into the blogosphere. Yes, they have a blog, and you can visit it here: www.blogsouthwest.com .

Blogging works for us because, as a Company, we know we have nothing to hide, said Southwests President Colleen Barrett. Our Employees absolutely ooze authenticity, and our bloggers have been able to bring that same SPIRIT to the blog.

AUTHENTICITY is one of the emotional intelligence (EQ) competencies. It works for individuals, it works for civic groups, it works for leaders, and it works for corporations.

On the blog you can take a peek inside the culture and operations of your favorite airline. About 30 employee bloggers (both frontline and behind the scenes), and customers participate, and you can too, if you like. Its called Nuts about Southwest, and there you can share their taglines - the warrior spirit, the servants heart, and FUN-LUVing attitude.

How fun loving? I got to test it just the other day, flying out of Love Field in Dallas. Dallas, which may rank no. one in weather-hassle for flights, for all I know. Dont quote me. Anyway, middle of a summer plagued by rainstorms, as youve seen on the news (so rare for Texas), I was lucky to make it to the airport because of the traffic accidents, and then discovered all the delays. The agents - letting us know it had been a week of this for them - approached it with humor and also let us know what it had been like for them. What else can you do? Thats authentic. It was exasperating for all of us involved with snarled flights, people cutting in line, screaming children, and so forth.

And heres more of Southwest. If you were an early adopter like me, with ties in Texas, you know all about the Set LUV free campaign, battling that peculiar Wright Amendment. Southwest set up a website where you could make your wishes known to Congress, www.setlovefree.com . Finally Love Field was set free, and theyve kept the site up, with a link on there where you can THANK Congress for the Wright Amendment Reform Act.

You would think that would be commonplace, wouldnt you, to thank someone who gives you what youve been asking for. But of course its not.

Others might have an attitude of entitlement.

Emotional intelligence works, from the ground up, and lets just say it begins at home, with the individual.