Carol:
Welcome back to the People-Forward Leadership Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Carol Parker Walsh, and I am so excited about the conversation that we are going to have today. Most people think that brand just lives in marketing, but brand actually lives in what your people do when the pressure is on. And in complex operational environments, it doesn't happen by accident. It really requires a curated system. And today we're talking about how you design that.
My guest today, Carla Jeter, senior manager of brand experience at Delta Air Lines, where she leads People-Forward brand strategy initiatives designed to improve frontline employee experience and strengthen customer outcomes. Carla's work is all about translating strategy into execution by building trust, elevating employee ownership, and creating the systems and rituals that help teams deliver at high levels. Now, frontline teams carry your brand in real time, and Carla at Delta is helping them do just that with trust, clarity, and ownership, which are some of the keys to people for leadership.
Carla, thank you for being here and welcome to the show.
Carla:
Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here.
Carol:
Awesome. I want to just jump right in. A lot of leaders talk about strategy, but fewer leaders can translate strategy into what people do on a Tuesday at 6:00 AM when everything is moving fast. And your pathway of being an electrical engineer at Motorola, maximizing revenue management and now brand experience tells me that you've always been drawn to systems and using that to create decisions. So what's the through line of your leadership journey and what ultimately pulled you into the work that you're doing now?
Carla:
Awesome. Well, first of all, thank you so much for having me. I'm truly excited and it's honored to be here. But when I think about my leadership pathway and just my through line, I like to build environments, I think, where people feel trusted, they feel equipped. But I think what's most important is that my teams and my people have to feel connected to purpose. And when they are connected to purpose, we truly believe that performance follows.
If I could just start with a quick story. When I first started at Delta, a story that was shared with me that didn't fully land at that time, but over the course of my leadership journey, it's taken on a different meaning and grown into just a deeper understanding of leadership impact. Now, since I was straight out of grad school, of course I was probably overly confident and didn't know as much as I thought I knew. But our founder, CE Woolman, who is the founder of Delta, he said that if you look across the airlines, all airlines have assets. We all have wifi. We all have service. Everything we do can be duplicated, but what can't be duplicated is our people. Our people are everything to Delta.
What that story ultimately brought back to me is that our people are the differentiator. And then that means that my responsibility as a leader is to really tap into and understand their value. But as you said earlier, not just in theory, but also in practice, but then in how I lead them and how I pull that out. So what we've built as a company and what we continue to build, I think is only as strong as the people who bring it to life. And for my team to execute at the level that we need them to execute, it starts with how I show up, how I listen and how I create clarity and build trust with my teams.
Carol:
I love that. That is so good. I love that you said it's how you show up and how you build trust. And the People-Forward approach to Delta, I mean, I heard you speak before, which is why I had to have you on the podcast. It came so through in how you spoke about your work.
I'm curious, when you talk about how you show up and how you build trust, what helps you to inform that? How do you think about that and what are the values or the things that your strengths that you bring to the table that help you to show up? And how do you reiterate that on a day-to-day basis?
Carla:
Yeah. I think the way that I reiterate that in terms of building trust and really showing up is just by being a servant leader and not leading from a distance, but I think it's by willing to work alongside my team. So trust for me starts with proximity and respect for the expertise around the table.
One example of that came early in my role when I was hired to leave complex initiatives supporting Delta's frontline employees. That worked for me. It spanned ideation, finance, supply chain, execution, and I knew that trust and credibility would be essential to success with flight attendants. So instead of solely leading from a program lens, I became flight attendant qualified and I worked alongside them. That experience allowed me to truly understand flight attendant's business needs, the intent behind their requests and how the work actually showed up on the line.
And so because that trust was established with flight attendants, I was then able to translate frontline needs into cross-functional action and bringing the right partners together, aligning on the why, but ultimately, it was because I became a flight attendant and became one of them. And I'm not saying everybody should become a flight attendant or become the customer that you are leading or supporting, but I do think it's important to understand their needs and to tap into as much as that as possible.
Carol:
Yeah, that is so fascinating. And I hear you, you don't have to necessarily get on the ground and do the work, but so often people become leaders because they were the top performers because-
Carla:
Absolutely.
Carol:
... they were in the trenches and they were identified as a high performer in that area and then they were tapped to be a leader. But you were a leader who then went into the trenches and turned that around.
For someone who's that high level contributor who tends to maybe lean back into that world because they know that world more than they know the leadership world, how would you advise them to move out of that space to take a more systemic, larger view of what it means to lead the people that you were once side by side working with?
Carla:
I think for me, when leaders take the time to truly understand the work, whether you work side by side by them or you've come in as a leader, when you take the time to understand the work and the people doing it, I truly believe that trust follows and execution becomes more of a... How do I say this? Becomes more of a shared effort versus a tug of war across functions. Because one of the things that I noticed about the people that we lead at Delta, whether it's frontline employees that work at the airport, they want to know that you understand them. They want to know that you get it. They want to know that you take the time to step from around the desk, come out into their world and become one of them as much as possible. So then when the ideation starts, you're able to visually see their needs. You have input from them. So I think for me, that's how we build trust at Delta.
Carol:
Okay. I love that, when you talked about really understanding their work and what they're doing and having that shared experience. So in People-Forward work, I often say that your strengths cast shadows and the shadow shows up on your team. One of the things that you have said repeatedly is around this idea of trust as a lever, as a way... Different things that you said needs to happen to build that trust. So where do your strengths, where does building trust cast a shadow within your team and in your initiatives, and what feedback do you invite to make sure that you're staying honest to the things that you're espousing?
Carla:
Yeah. I think for me, when I think about my strengths casting a shadow, I think first of all, my strength is that I'm a people first leader. I genuinely care about people. I care about our people. I'm service-minded, and I try to approach a lot of our projects where possible in a more collaborative effort. The shadow of that strength is that sometimes there's this instinct to please, which can delay or blur those trade-offs, especially when they're competing priorities.
So what I learned is that most projects involve some sort of trade-off, whether it's cost, whether it's brand, whether it's timeline, and I'm trying to satisfy everyone can actually, I think, create more confusion and risk for the team. So what I've become more disciplined about is just naming those constraints, sequencing work intentionally and being explicit about what we are, what we are not prioritizing. And then I think that clarity protects my team and keeps the mission moving forward. And just knowing that sometimes collaboration also means taking a step up and leading because that's what teams need as well. They need somebody that's able to have that vision, articulate that vision and lead, but also understanding that they're trade-offs.
Carol:
Yeah. I mean, you said a mouthful there. There's something I definitely want to highlight is that, and I think this is confusing for people, that you said you're a people first leader, but there's an instinct to please.
Carla:
Yes.
Carol:
And I think sometimes people think being people first means being the friend and being liked and being one of the boys or one of the girls and not holding people accountable or not leaning into performance and quality and achieving results. I think people confuse that if you're a people leader, that that means you are not paying attention to some of those other things.
I love that you talked about naming constraints, sequencing the work and knowing who we are and who we are not. I would love for you to speak a little bit more about how you maintain that balance and how you may help others who may be struggling with that balance to try to be a people leader but don't know how to also hold people accountable.
Carla:
Yeah. Honestly, I think my team appreciates it more when I'm honest, when I'm transparent, when they can see the visions, when they can see what's being asked of them. I think it's important for them to also understand when they're not showing up to the best of their ability. I think they rely on me to help them also bring forth their best. So I think that's what helps me when in being a people leader, also understanding that people leading meaning that my team needs me to help them shine and to be honest and transparent. I actually think they appreciate it more because when I'm not, I do think it leads to confusion and distrust on the team. So I try to make sure I keep that in mind is that I'm there to also lead them.
Carol:
Yeah, I love that. I often use the analogy, not to infantilize people or to minimize employees and what they do, but it's like being a parent. You want to have a good relationship, but somebody has to be in charge, right?
Carla:
Yeah.
Carol:
Everybody can't just be everyone's friends. Somebody has to be in charge. And I love what you said about helping your team shine, that you're there to help them shine. And so being able to see everything and what they need, whether that's course correcting or celebrating or adding something in there is so important as a people leader, to pay attention to those levers.
Carla:
Absolutely. I always like to tell my team when they look their best, I shine. And so I want them to look great because it's a reflection of me as well. So I want them to do well. And it pleases me because I do think it's a reflection of everybody on the team when they do well.
Carol:
Yeah. Yeah. Love it. Love it. Cross-functional work is where strategy becomes reality, I believe, and trust is a required capability for that. And you've articulated that so beautifully. How do you build trust across functions and personalities and generations and competing priorities so people can actually execute together?
Carla:
I think one of the things that's most important when you look across the ecosystem at Delta is that there are so many talented groups. And I think what's most important is that we allow those groups to just stand for what they're there for. They have so much expertise in each of those groups. And when we come together, if we respect their expertise in those groups, we tend to have a well-executed project. Most of our projects rely on supply chain management or finance or marketing or brand or the operations. And what I find is that when each of those people are operating in those spaces and bringing something to the table, we tend to have a well-thought-out project.
So I think what's most important for me on these cross-divisional projects is just having respect for what they do. I do not have a supply chain management background, but I respect how they're able to make sure that we manage relationships and costs. And when you allow those expertise to truly be front and center on these projects and do what they're designed to do, I think our projects run smoothly because we have all angles covered.
Carol:
Yeah, I love that. Respect the expertise. I think that sometimes leaders think they have to know everything and be all knowing. And I love what you shared about if you respect the expertise that's there, then you know your lane and you know that-
Carla:
Your lane, yes.
Carol:
Yeah, exactly. And your job is just making sure they're all working together and respecting their expertise. I love that as a foundational value.
Carla:
Yeah. What's interesting, I think as a leader, you should surround yourself with expertise of other areas. I think a good leader knows who to bring in the room, who to bring in the table so that we're thinking about these projects from different levels. And so I think that's also part of being a great people leader is making sure that we have the right people in the room to lead these projects for our people.
Carol:
Yeah. Yeah. When we first met and you came and spoke, I know you brought a team with you. So I know it's important for you to value that expertise and value your teams. In our framework of empowered ecosystems, delegation is such an important aspect and it's about designing ownership and to do that, leaders need to make it safe and possible for others to really carry decisions forward. So where do you intentionally push decision-making down and how do you build the capability and confidence for others to own those outcomes?
Carla:
Yeah, that's actually a great question because at Delta, and probably most companies, we're always thinking about that next generation and making sure that they're prepared.
I tend to hold decisions when they require strategic direction or priority setting or when the level of risk is really high. Whether it's a brand risk, a people impact, timeline, et cetera, that's my responsibility as a leader, but I'm equally intentional about empowering my team so they still feel ownership in the decision-making process. The best opportunities on my team for that usually shows up in execution planning and just day-to-day execution.
Many of the projects I oversee impact frontline employees directly. And so my team has built strong relationship with those frontline groups. So the how we execute, how we engage, how we sequence the work, it's often best informed by those relationships that my team has built and that they can hear in real time.
So to build confidence and ownership, I try to just give clear guardrails, the outcomes we're driving toward, what matters most, what can be compromised, and then I trust my team to the execute and the approach. That balance, I think, helps the team move faster, make decisions closer to the work, and then stay accountable to both the people and results.
Carol:
That is so good. I love it. I always love to hear people's ideas and formulas around delegation. And what I got from you was definitely priority level, high risk decisions you keep, but you empower them to make other day-to-day decisions using clear guide rails, clear outcomes, letting them know what matters most, and really trusting their process, trusting how they get there, which is so good because sometimes we think, "Well, the way I do it is the way it should be done," as opposed to, "No, here's the outcome, I may take the scenic route. You may take a different route, but we're still going to get to the same outcome." So I love that final piece that you said about really trusting that they'll get there, trusting that they'll get to the outcome that you laid out for them.
Carla:
Yeah, no, absolutely. I think what I bring to the table is that I tend to be around in a lot of meetings that they're not necessarily a part of. So I tend to bring just the bigger picture so that they have visibility into other competing priorities, other initiatives that are going on. And once they have all of those different details and guardrails, they're able to execute and they actually execute in a phenomenal way just because of the strengths they bring to the table.
Carol:
Wow. Yeah. There's that trusting the expertise in.
Carla:
Trusting them. I trust them. I need them. I need them.
Carol:
I love it. I love it. People's ability to speak up, particularly from the frontline environment, is crucial. So how does Delta foster that? And in terms of psychological safety, what does that look like in your world?
Carla:
Oh, wow. I think for me... This is so important to me. And the reason it's so important because we just had a survey about this and psychological safety was one of the most important things on my team and making sure that we have that. So for me, psychological safely looks like people having the opportunity and the permission, more importantly, to speak up, whether it's about a risk on a project or concern or even just something that they need support on. So one very practical way we reinforce that is through something we do in our team meetings called, we have vulnerable moments. It's completely voluntary, but it's a safe space for anyone to share what's on their mind.
It's actually started with people sharing work-related challenges because everybody was feeling out the system, what can I talk about? But over time, the team has grown comfortable sharing impactful moments outside of work because life is still happening outside of Delta, no matter what, life is happening. And I think it's an important part of psychological safety as a leader, recognizing the whole person, not just the output. And I think when my team and people feel seen and supported, they communicate earlier, we collaborate better and they stay connected even when the work gets intense. And so these vulnerable moments have just allowed us to just tap even deeper into just the whole person of my team. Some of the things that are shared are... I mean, they go deep and it lets you know that there's a lot going out on outside of those walls.
And so when the stress get high at Delta, we have to realize that there's more to it. And so you have to be a leader almost in all aspects of that, knowing that when people are trying to do their best, there are other things going on. So vulnerable moments has been our key.
Carol:
I love that. I'm curious, how often do you... Is it the first 10 minutes before every meeting or is it a special time to do that? How often... Where do those vulnerable moments land? I think that's phenomenal. I think it's phenomenal.
Carla:
We've played around with, does it fall at the beginning? Does it get too sad? We've played around in the middle. We've played around, does it just need to be certain people in the room? So we're still working through where vulnerable moments fall, but we tend to try to do it closer to the end of the meeting, but then we don't have to go back talking about projects after you've just talked about something going on in your family. So right now we've landed on it just being at the end of the meeting. But it's so funny because I've learned about my team's pets. I've learned about things going on with their children like cheerleading competitions that they're excited about or anxious about. You'd be surprised at how you get to know your team when you have a space that's dedicated. But also one thing that I did when we first started is that I led the conversation. I started out-
Carol:
So you modeled it?
Carla:
I modeled it so that everyone knew that I would be just as vulnerable about what was going on as they were. And over time, now I find that they beat me to the punch in sharing. And so it's catching wind and growing legs.
Carol:
That is so great. So it sounds basically like it just organically, where it lands and where it makes sense is what you do. But I just think it's so powerful that you create space for the people because what you said is respecting the whole person, not just the output, which is such an amazing quote. I love that. I love that. That's so good.
Okay. In adaptive continuous learning cultures, feedback loops are critical. And I know you've mentioned surveys a few times already. I was reading about Delta's approach to employee listening with executive station visits, velvet, and now vulnerable moments and channels where frontline feedback gets evaluated and Delta's new distinctively Delta uniform collection in fact was inspired by the voices of 65,000 employees-
Carla:
It was.
Carol:
... which is an example of that, which is incredible. So how do you take all of that robust frontline feedback, that loop, and turn it into action, and how are you converting that impact, that input rather into better decisions and innovation and learning at scale?
Carla:
Yeah. First, let me say, one of the key things that I've learned as a leader and we've learned is that when you design with your people and not for your people, you tend to have an output that truly meets their needs. We came up with this model called Listen, Act, Listen, as far as our employees channels. What it basically describes is just a continuous feedback loop, not a one-time survey, not one and done.
So first, we gather the input through surveys, listening, job shadows to really understand what our employee needs are and what they are experiencing. And then we act by reviewing that feedback, prioritizing key things, taking physical, meaningful actions and inputting in them, trying to understand what may not be feasible or what's feasible today, what are the trade-offs.
And then we report that back out to our frontline employees or our teams, and then we listen again to try to understand, did we translate it accurately? Does this meet your needs? Is this what you were saying? And I think by checking back with your employees to understand whether the actions taken, address their concerns and had the intended impact, this really helps us to validate the decisions, refine solutions and just reinforce that trust with our employees. And that lets them know we don't have to get it right at first. We are in evolution, but we will continuously come back and reiterate based on the feedback that you're giving us.
That tends to work from us because what we found, especially with uniforms, is that sometimes what employees say is not actually what they mean. And so we try to make sure that we translate it and then have a conversation about, did we actually interpret what you were telling us? And that allows us also to just build trust and just have that open dialogue with our employees.
Carol:
Yeah, I can imagine. Most people do the listen and act and forget to come back again to just make sure-
Carla:
Yeah, had to come back.
Carol:
... that what we did is actually making sense to not only show your people that you are listening and taking what they say to heart and actually engaging into some type of action or implementation, but also coming back to say, "Okay, what did that work and what else can we do?" I imagine ... Yeah, I mean, like I said, trust has been the through line through our conversation. And I can imagine that that builds a tremendous amount of trust that your people feel that you do value what they have to share, what they have to say. And that really matters in how you make decisions that best support them. Going back to what you shared about the founder's idea of who people are and the value of the people for the organization.
Carla:
Yeah. But I think what it also allows us to do is that once we interpret what they're asking, if there's something that we can't do, it also allows us to go back and have a transparent conversation to say, "We heard you, we investigated it, we researched it, and here's where we are, and this is why we can't do it, or this is why we can't do it now, or these are the trade-offs that are available." And making sure that... Because they don't always see across supply chain and finance and timelines, et cetera. And so it's important for us to have that dialogue to understand the business reasons why we can do something, but also the business reasons why we can't do something. And so I think that also creates trust with our frontline.
Carol:
That's incredible. I mean, with your size of organization to really lean in with that level of transparency and honesty in terms of your decision making is really powerful.
The future of customer experience is going to be won by organizations that can align what you're doing, people systems with operational realities. You just said it, here's why we can't do something. What's one bet you're making right now, one focus area that you believe will matter most over the next 12 to 24 months?
Carla:
I absolutely love this question. What I'm working on right now, I think it will matter a lot over the next 12 to 24 months is just strengthening my managing up muscle.
Carol:
Okay.
Carla:
I realize leadership isn't only about managing down. I think at the level I am, and as you continue to grow in your career, you're expected to influence, anticipate needs, bring solutions, not just surface problems. So I'm intentionally practicing how to think more enterprise-wide, connecting dots across teams, identifying long-term solutions instead of short-term fixes, and leading in a way that helps move the broader organization forward. So I think for me, it's just a shift from a strong operator to being a more strong enterprise influencer. And so that's my next 12 to 24 months.
Carol:
I think that's so incredible. It's funny you said that because I posted something on LinkedIn recently about having coached over 100 C-suite leaders and saying that about 30% of them weren't in the C-suite when I started coaching them. And they are now... And it is just what you talked about, is understanding what it means to look up, to manage up, to step up, and to lead with greater strategic influence than maybe what they had thought about before. And so I love that you shared that because that is such a powerful... We tend to just look down or look around, but it's so important to look up at all times to make sure that you're thinking larger, more expansive and really thinking strategically because that's what you do at that level is you're thinking about the whole and not just the parts. And so I think that's amazing.
Carla:
Yeah. And also, I mean, I encourage my team to do the same. Sometimes I have a big picture idea of how something can be executed and then they have more of what it takes from a tactical lens. And so they're really good at managing up and telling me, "This is the timeline that's actually accomplishable, not the timeline that you put forward," or, "These are all the steps that it takes to get there." And so I encourage everybody at every level to manage up because you don't know what piece of information is missing that could actually influence a decision.
Carol:
Yeah. Yeah. I would love to have just a slight conversation about resiliency, adaptability in the age of the future of work and AI technology and all of these other things that are coming at the speed of light in workplaces. What are some of the things that you find yourself doing, leading, managing and conversations that you're having when it comes to that? I mean, you started off saying that Delta's an old organization's been around for a long time. It's a big organization and it has some practical ideas and standards and legs that it stands on that makes it such a global phenomena as an organization. But when you think about the speed of light in which we're moving and changing, what are some of the things that you're seeing in the conversations that you're in around that?
Carla:
I think one of the main ways that I build resilience on my team is just constantly reinforcing that we are all leaders on our team regardless of titles. Basically, as my team, I encourage all of them to treat our projects like their owners and investors in the outcome, not just contributors checking boxes. And I think that mindset builds accountability, you're thinking forward, it builds your confidence, and it helps people, my team speak up when something isn't working, but it also helps you to be innovative. And in the world of AI, really looking out there to see what are some opportunities that we could take advantage of that would either improve costs, improve revenue, improve communication, et cetera. So if you have that owner and investor outcome, you're always thinking about where there are opportunities to improve.
I think also, in practice, we normalize raising risk early and escalating issues without fear. I would rather hear something when it's a signal than when it's a fire. So just really being thinking about yourself as an owner and when do you think you should raise that risk? And then I try to stay tuned into the workload and capacity because I think resilience also means the pace has to be sustainable, not just productive in the moment. So the goal for us is just a culture that can flex without fracturing the team and everybody that that supports. But I think if we think about it in a way of ownership, you would always be thinking about all those different layers.
Carol:
Yeah, I agree with that. I think that's... You said a word earlier too. I think by understanding your purpose and aligning that in the work that you do. But definitely when you have ownership, it makes you look at what's happening. It makes you move and flex with what's going on because it's yours. And so-
Carla:
It's yours.
Carol:
... you're just not waiting for the organization to tell you, you're looking for opportunities opportunities-
Carla:
Opportunities, yeah.
Carol:
... because you're taking that ownership. And I could see how that aligns so beautifully with innovation.
Carla:
Yeah, absolutely. We always tell our team, "Every project, regardless of the title, think of yourself as a leader. Even if it's a small piece of the pie, always look for innovative ways and raise your hand if you can think of something different. And even if we don't use it today, it doesn't mean that we won't table it for a later opportunity."
Carol:
Yeah. Yeah. Well, okay. This has been such a great conversation. I want to close it out because I think we can keep talking, but I want to close it out with this. If someone is listening and thinking, "I want to be more people-forward, but I don't know where to start. I think of it as this way. Now I have a different idea about it, but how do I really get started with that?" if you can leave leaders with one shift, one practice or a mindset shift to be more people-forward and people first, as you talked about, and how they lead, what would it be?
Carla:
Wow. If I could lead leaders with just one shift to be more people-forward, I think it would be this, recognition matters. I think sometimes we're quick to focus on what went wrong, what needs to be fixed, but human nature is that people need to know when they've done a great job. We all need it. And it's not about constantly saying good job. It's about giving recognition when it's earned and truly doing it intentionally. And when you recognize someone... I think this is very important. This is something I've learned. Be specific. Don't just say good job. Say, "Good job developing the long-term recycling system. It reduced waste. It improved our process," yada, yada, ya. I think it shows your team and your people that you're paying attention.
I also encourage leaders to use multiple channels of recognition and pay attention to what lands for each person. For some, it's an old school written notes. For other, it's an email with senior leaders copied on it when warranted. Some people appreciate recognition in front of the team and some prefer it privately, but what I've learned is that your team and your people need to hear it, even when they say they don't. Recognition builds trust, it reinforces the right behavior and it reminds your people that they matter. So if I could leave you with one thing, it would be recognition matters.
Carol:
I love that. And I think that the key to what you said was be specific.
Carla:
Be specific. I always, good job. I'm like, I don't even know if you know what project I'm working on.
Carol:
Or my name or-
Carla:
You didn't know you know my name. Be specific. I'm telling you, it makes a difference and it's like, wow, they see me. They see my work.
Carol:
Yeah. Wow. That's amazing. That's amazing. Carla, listen, I want to thank you so much for the powerful examples, the lessons, everything that you've laid out to really make people-forward leadership real and not just kind of this idea of it. And what you shared really reminds people, it reminds us that people-forward leadership isn't a soft skill. It's not a nice to have, but it's designed and it's required and it's systemic and it's what's needed to build trust, to create ownership and to put the rituals in place so that the brand promise can really hold up under pressure when things are hard, when things are hurried, when things are changing at a rapid pace. So I want to thank you so much for everything you shared because it was just brilliance.
Carla:
Awesome. Well, I've enjoyed being here. I've listened to a lot of your podcasts since we've met and you guys are doing amazing work. So I love it.
Carol:
Thank you. Thank you. I really appreciate that. Listen, and to everyone listening, if this episode sparks something for you, share it with the leader who's responsible for culture and results because brand is not what we say. It's what our people can deliver consistently, especially when it's hard and when they need to feel important and valued to deliver the results that you're looking for.
Carla:
Awesome.
Carol:
So thank you for listening. Until next time, keep leading people-forward and I will see you soon.
Carla:
All right. Thank you.
