"Bastian, 68, has spent nearly a decade at the helm of America's most profitable airline, steering the Fortune 500 giant through crises from 9/11 and bankruptcy to the COVID-19 pandemic. After joining Delta in 1998, Bastian rose through six leadership roles before becoming CEO in 2016, but did not observe all of the advice he received for how to be the top boss."
""The worst advice I ever received was [from] a former mentor who told me when I became CEO, I needed to create a unique identity, something that people couldn't find me," Bastian said. "He told me I'll never have a moment of peace because I was too public." Bastian listened, but chose not to follow the recommendation: "I thanked him for that, and I did not do that.""
"Now, Bastian says his inbox is flooded with thousands of emails per day, and he often spends flights reading through customer feedback. He likens himself to a "point guard" directing traffic to resolve issues. "I only have one email, only have one phone, and as a result of that, I'm always in touch with our people, our customers, our community," he said. However, customers often don't believe they're actually communicating with the real Bastian himself."
Ed Bastian rarely boards early, often one of the last passengers while teams rush to ensure his arrival because planes will not wait. He joined Delta in 1998 and became CEO in 2016 after six leadership roles, guiding the airline through 9/11, bankruptcy and the COVID-19 pandemic. He rejects advice to hide from the public and maintains heavy visibility. His inbox receives thousands of emails daily; he reads customer feedback on flights and positions himself as a "point guard" directing issues. He uses a single email and phone to stay connected, and passengers sometimes mistake his replies for a bot.
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