Why I’m Reading a Book About Continental Airlines Published in 1999

Over the holiday break, I was talking to my cousin’s husband and we got to talking about business. How leaders effect change and what it means to be a great leader. He brought up a book I had never heard of called From Worst to First.

Here are some factoids about the book, which I’m currently reading:

  • It was first published in 1999.
  • It’s about Continental Airlines and their new (back in 1994) CEO, Gordon Bethune
  • It’s a case study of how Bethune transformed Continental Airlines from one of the most pathetic businesses around into a respected, first-class organization.

Sounds mildly interesting, doesn’t it? But it also sounds woefully out of date—so why the hell am I reading it?

Passion.

My cousin’s husband went on and on about the book like it was the greatest thing he ever read. I mean he wouldn’t shut up about it. It stuck in my head and I made a note to myself to check it out. I went on Amazon and read the first few pages, decided it was worth a shot, and then I checked it out of the library.

He was so passionate about this book that it rubbed off on me—I wanted to know why it got him all riled up.

And so far so good—it’s got some great stories and some great advice that anyone at any level should keep in mind in their work and life.

This is not the first time I’ve gotten interested in something random I’ve never heard of. It happened with wine and Gary Vaynerchuk. And it also happened with my friend Andrew—he got me into Sir Ernest Shackleton, Coldplay, and Jobim.

I love discovering new things that other people are so passionate about. When you see that obsessed with something, regardless of what it is, I immediately want to check it out. Part of me is curious but part of me just wants to be as passionate as this person is.

And if that means being passionate about a book about Continental Airlines, then so be it.

Sometimes you will feel let down, but hopefully letting yourself get infected with someone else’s passion will expose you to new things that will enrich your life. You may even find them useful and practical.

Like this book. More on the book when I finish it, but so far I highly recommend it.

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