How a Simple Idea Saved Delta Air Lines 1 Minute on Every Flight From Atlanta

Lesson here: Listen to your employees when they say the have a great idea.

What's better than a big solution to a thorny problem? A simple solution.

Now, Delta Air Lines has explained a simple trick that it uses to turn planes around faster, which means passengers get where they're going on time, more often.

It saves a minute or two every time a jet rolls away from the gate. Multiply that by 1,000 Delta flights a day at an airport like Atlanta, and you start saving lots and lots of time. 

Here's the story--including the important detail of who came up with the idea--and why every leader can learn from something like this.

Credit where it's due

First, let's give credit where it's due: A group of customer service agents at the Atlanta airport came up with the idea, a Delta spokesperson told me.

The problem they solved starts with the design of your average airport terminal. Think of airplanes lined up outside, perpendicular to the gates, their noses facing the glass.

To get to the runway, a tug has to push each plane back away from the gate, then turn it 90 degrees s…