When Oscar Munoz took over as CEO, United faced a stalled merger, low customer satisfaction, and poor employee morale. Within five years, he transformed it into a top-performing airline by focusing on employee trust and teamwork—a strategy that built loyalty from the ground up.
A cornerstone of Munoz’s leadership philosophy is expanding what he calls a team’s “discretionary effort”—the willingness of employees to go above and beyond their job descriptions.
“There are 10% of the people that are so supportive,” Munoz said on the podcast. “But there’s another 10% who are so negative. The 80% in the middle… are going to join the side that is winning.” His secret? Focus on adding to that 10% who are positive, inspiring them to lead the rest of the team in the right direction.
Munoz also shared lessons from his experiences as a marathon runner and triathlete, comparing moments of exhaustion—what athletes call “hitting the wall”—to challenges leaders face. “You have to know it’s coming, and you have to know it’s going to pass, and you have to keep busting through it,” Munoz explained. Just as athletes train to push through their limits, leaders can prepare their teams to exceed expectations, delaying or even preventing those “hitting a wall” moments.
In this episode, Munoz also shared insights on:
- How it’s never too late to do the right thing.
- The power of capturing employees’ hearts and minds to inspire them to go beyond their roles.
- Why exploring new ground as a leader fosters a culture of growth and improvement.
Munoz also reflected on how playing football shaped his resilience, especially during his recovery from a life-threatening heart attack while leading United. “Without sports, without training, without that competitive angle, it’s just such a prominent driver of all of us,” he said. Sports taught him the value of discipline, teamwork, and maintaining a competitive drive, lessons that have influenced his leadership at every level.
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