JetBlue CEO and founder David Neeleman could bask in the glory of the #1 ranking his new airline received in the Airline Quality Rating—but he's too busy doing what he calls servant leadership.

When he flies around the country on his airplanes, which he does regularly, he's just one of the crewmembers. He passes out snacks and blankets with the flight attendants, he sits in the cockpit and chats with the pilots, and he joins the team that cleans the planes.

"You can't ask employees to do something you wouldn't be willing to do yourself," he says.