The scandals that are impacting our planet have vast ramifications and now is the time to dig deeply into the cave of the unconscious, illuminating some of the darker, dusty corners where the patterns of power handed through the generations sit and if not brought to consciousness are simply repeated and repeated. This is a good article and the beginning of a dialogue. I responded and I’d love to hear what you have to say.
Responsibility + leadership = anything but funny.
By Steven Adubato
Responsibility is a funny thing. So is leadership. When the two come together, it can be anything but funny.
Consider the case of Rupert Murdoch and his son James who lead the massive media empire known as News Corp. They testified Tuesday before Parliament regarding an increasingly embarrassing scandal involving revelations of cell phone hacking of over 4,000 people — from stars to crime victims and their families — for inside information.
Further, there are allegations that News Corp. journalists had paid police for confidential information for the now-defunct News of the World tabloid in England, which has led to the resignations of London’s police commissioner as well as Scotland Yard’s assistant commissioner.
As scandals go, this is one of the ugliest and potentially most devastating an organization can face. Rupert Murdoch has been a master visionary and leader in the evolution of News Corp. The organization makes tons of money, and many of its brands are at the top of the media food chain.
Clearly, Murdoch and his son were advised by lawyers and communication experts on what to say and what not to say.
The basic message communicated was that their organization is so big and that News of the World represented a tiny percentage of the overall corporate pie that neither could be expected to know, much less be responsible for, the actions of some rogue employees.
When Murdoch was asked if he was in any way responsible for this mess, he said he was “shocked” to learn of it and that while it was the ”most humble day of my life” he argued that ultimately the
responsibility should land on some unnamed employees who “behaved disgracefully and betrayed the company and me. And it’s for them to pay.” Then he said perhaps he lost sight of the News of the World “because it was so small in the general frame of our company.” Rupert Murdoch said he would not accept “ultimate responsibility” for what had happened and neither would his son James.
When it comes to leadership, whether a CEO knows about something or not, he or she is ultimately responsible for the actions of every employee in the organization. If a leader doesn’t know that those employees are involved in unethical and potentially illegal activities, it doesn’t necessarily make the CEO legally or criminally liable, but they are no doubt responsible for putting the person in the position of responsibility and/or not monitoring the situation more closely. They are responsible to communicate effectively by asking the right questions
and demanding the right answers.
Further, if a leader does know that those working for him or her are engaged in destructive activities and does nothing to stop it or attempts to cover it up, it’s even worse. Two words — Richard Nixon. What so many leaders refuse to understand is whether you do something wrong or not, you are responsible and, yes, accountable.
Leaders often confuse the words “blame” or “guilt” with more appropriate words like “responsibility” and “accountability.” Forget about who is to blame. I understand legal advice intended to minimize your potential liability in court. But what lawyers don’t understand is that their clients can refuse to accept responsibility, but it still won’t stop the lawsuits. They are going to happen anyway. Yet, by refusing to accept responsibility, a leader is seriously damaged — and so, in turn, is the organization’s public reputation and brand.
How leaders communicate can make or break them and their organizations. So when a leader says he isn’t “responsible” for what happens in his organization, nothing good happens.
Credit and praise are supposed to be pushed down, while responsibility gets pushed up. When that equation gets reversed, chaos and confusion are bound to occur.
Steve Adubato speaks and coaches on leadership and communication and is the author of “Make the Connection” and his new book, “You are the Brand.” Visit his website at stand-deliver.com or e-mail him at sadubato@aol.com.
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