Stephen H Baum Leadership

One bad apple: heartburn for the boss and followers

Why are leaders at all levels so slow to move on “bad apples?”
Even after witnessing the positively liberating power of one person’s departure and absence, they are prone to wait again on a second case.

This is a timeless question asked by boards, bosses and supervisors down the line. And often by customers/clients.

This week, one of my clients held a meeting with the top people in his organization. It was a challenging session, brainstorming about “white spaces (market opportunities not yet seized) and “money left on the table” by too narrow a focus on client needs. Challenging to get people’s focus away from immediate tasks and challenging for people to admit opportunities not yet seized.

How did it go,” I asked. “Terrific. In fact, several people said it was the best meeting, the best tenor, the most free-flowing. We could never have done this before.” What no one said but most thought, the boss realized: it was the absence of a recently departed toxic executive.

Years ago, a new CEO of a large operating company which had been my client for several months told me he was about to dismiss his CFO for failing to do proper diligence on a failed acquisition. The new CEO intended to set new standards and expectations for leadership. I had met with all the senior people and gained some insights into the pervasive mindset. “Why start so low?” I asked.

He was horrified at the implication of considering firing the (micromanaging, tyrannical) president with service of 20 years. Long story short….the president quit after several onversation, we threw a going away party which he treasured and waved goodbye. Within days the spirit of liberation was palpable in meetings all over the company. The CEO uttered words so often heard: “I wish I had done it sooner.”

That’s just my view. What’s yours?

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