Name: Why United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby Only Makes Five Decisions a Year
Uploaded: 2026-05-10T11:00:00Z
Duration: 1 min 14 s
Description: United Airlines Chief Executive Scott Kirby limits himself to five major decisions a year, delegating the rest to his executive team. Kirby explains why relinquishing control and allowing others to reach their own conclusions is essential for building a resilient corporate culture.

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United Airlines Chief Executive Scott Kirby limits himself to five major decisions a year, delegating the rest to his executive team. Kirby explains why relinquishing control and allowing others to reach their own conclusions is essential for building a resilient corporate culture. Photo: United Airlines

https://m.wsj.net/video/20260504/88016b12-507b-4dc2-b8a3-4a60d6208df9/1/hls/manifest-hd-wifi.m3u8

United Airlines Chief Executive Scott Kirby limits himself to five major decisions a year, delegating the rest to his executive team. Kirby explains why relinquishing control and allowing others to reach their own conclusions is essential for building a resilient corporate culture.

Why United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby Only Makes Five Decisions a Year

I think I've gotten pretty good at, even when I have an idea and wanna do something, like I try to make it someone else's idea. Like, ask enough questions, try to have somebody else say, "This is the idea," and say, "Wow, that's brilliant." And like, it feels pretty inefficient sometimes. So it may, but there's some things I like that are efficient on my personal time, but that's one that's worth it because the team feels good. You get to better answers too. I mean, all of you know this, you get to better answers 'cause you have better conversation with people. And so I actually now try, like, my actual, one other thing I try to do is say, "I'm only gonna make five decisions a year." That's the most I, and they're gonna be the decisions that are big enough, that are unclear enough that I'm the only person that can make them. Every other decision I'm gonna let the rest of the team do. Now, I do try to influence 'em, but not to make 'em. And there's even times that, you know, people will make a decision that I try to influence it and I'm not successful and they make the decision that I don't actually think is the right one. And I've learned to just let you know, let it go. One, I'm not certain that my answer's better than their answer, but two, the culture point is not worth whatever I think the difference is in those decisions.

The WSJ Leadership Institute Presents: Leaders. A new podcast series bringing you revealing conversations with top executives shaping business today. Hosted by Alan Murray, president of the WSJ Leadership Institute, the series goes beyond headlines to explore how leadership really works in times of upheaval, transformation, and uncertainty. Our first episode was released Monday, Sept. 22, at 5:00 a.m. ET, with new episodes every other Monday.