What kind of CEO comes in to an already struggling organization and sows the seeds of conflict within his team?
- His decisions have pitted lower-waged employees versus higher-waged employees (arguing about the fairness of earnings levels separating who gets a 401K match and who gets a pay raise?)
- He is pitting longer-term employees versus newer employees (only hiring from the outside for top jobs, basically saying he thinks that all employees hired before his start date are tainted by prior management.)
- His “very low pool of black talent” comments created racial conflict. His preferential hiring of male executives versus female executives continues the history of bias against women in the finance industry (rough estimate 80% new execs are men).
- He has pitted East Coast employees versus West Coast by seemingly moving base from San Francisco to New York. “All the talent is in NYC.”
- Sowing general conflict with increasing the number of layoffs from previous numbers of 10% to his numbers of 25%. Employees are battling over sheer survival. “The old-timers need to go!” “If you don’t like it, just leave!”
- Sowing mistrust between employees and management. Charlie’s evasive lack of communication has everyone questioning who knows what. Employees don’t trust managers for what they might know but aren’t saying. Managers may or may not know, but they have to keep you working and not asking too many questions.
- Which businesses are considered core versus non-core? Employees are arguing which businesses deserve to stay versus which business aren’t profitable enough and should go.
- Creating a distinct class divide between senior executive team and the general workforce. “I, the elitist white male CEO, deserve my pay of $36,4000,000. And I am creating new high-paying jobs for those who deserve to share in my fortunes. However, we are supposed to be cutting costs, so 25% of the commoners must go.”
- The Charlie-supporting Yes Men (Corp Comm) versus everyone else. “He’s doing what he was hired to do! I’m fine with it as long as it affects everyone else but me.”
A good leader is someone who leads by positive direction and build agreement among it’s group members towards the accomplishment of a coordinated goal.