Resilient Leadership: BP and its Fallen Leader
A Perspective about BP and its Fallen Leader by Rob Weinhold When we learned of the Gulf oil explosion in April 2010, the loss of life coupled with the hourly projections about environmental fallout was disturbing enough. However, to learn that BP had no real crisis plan or immediate solution to deal with this type of incident immediately instilled a sense of anger among many stakeholders. One of the biggest “eye brow raising moments” early on was to watch BP executives on NBC’s Today Show respond to a question/statement by an anchor during an interview. The question to the executive was “You had no crisis plan to deal with this, did you?” Well, the executive did not answer the question and quickly directed his response in another direction, never answering the “yes or no” question. Clearly, BP was at a loss on how to handle this catastrophic, yet predictable event. It is true, based on the continual resulting blunders that BP did not have a handle on how to effectively communicate with all of its stakeholders during the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Adversity is the truest test of leadership and BP failed the test due to poor planning and execution. The very basic tenants of crisis leadership did not present themselves in this case. While many suffered, top executive Tony Hayward gave the public impression that he cared more about how his life was disrupted than the millions who depend on BP from a financial or livelihood standpoint. Comments Mr. Hayward made about how he “wanted his life back” or how he minimized the leak because the leak was occurring in “a big ocean” were bad enough, but the symbolic participation in a yacht race during a time of crisis sent the wrong message to many whose quality of life still remained in the balance. While Mr. Hayward apologized and made later attempts to explain his comments and actions, the court of public opinion already rendered a verdict. Of the many milestone events which ultimately led to Mr. Hayward’s dismissal, one particular event negatively impacted his career, BP’s stock and sent the BP brand cascading downward like no other. That event was the Congressional hearings where all company executives involved decided to point the finger at one another. The resulting public message was a failure to take responsibility. In fact, the President of the United States stood-up and said he was “not impressed” by that spectacle. Yes, now the leaders of three major corporations were being admonished publically by the World’s most influential leader. Main Tenants of Resilient Leadership The fact is, during times of crisis, leaders become fatigued and often misstep. In BP’s case, Hayward didn’t have what Dr.’s George Everly and Doug Strouse refer to in their book (The Secrets of Resilient Leadership, 2010) as Behavioral Body Armor. As highlighted in the book and many other publications, resilient leadership has a few main tenants which should never be violated. They include: 1. Act with integrity 2. Communicate effectively 3. Display optimistic, decisive leadership 4. Take responsibility for actions 5. Build a resilient culture 6. Develop behavioral body armor I wholeheartedly recommend that leaders at every level of management in both the public and private sector, personally or professionally, embrace these principles. Had BP crisis planned before the incident, been forthright with information and followed the six basic tenants above, we all might have a different perspective.
Media Relations 101
It is imperative that executives and professionals maintain the ability to represent their brand appropriately in the court of public opinion and in front of their key stakeholder bases. When interacting with the media, act as the expert on your subject matter, be clear and concise, be passionate, stay focused, routinely connect every response back to your core message, and anticipate audience reactions.
3 Things Every Business Needs When Disaster Strikes
It’s up to company leaders to prepare employees and infrastructure for any and every kind of disaster or emergency situation, from natural disasters such as flooding or tornadoes to man-made situations like security threats. Once the safety of your employees is ensured, the next step is to determine how to keep your business afloat.
The Social Media Opportunity
Utilizing Facebook as a public relations outlet during a time of crisis can improve the overall image and public opinion of the organization in crisis.
In Remembering 9/11…
The devastating attacks of 9/11 are a moment in time that every American will always remember. The Fallston Group joins America in remembering and honoring the innocent lives taken from us that day, the brave souls of rescuers and responders, and the courageous men and women who continue to protect our nation from outside threat. Although we can only plan for so much, it is important that business owners recognize the possibility of crisis at any moment. The Fallston Group offers the following steps in building and implementing your workplace violence policies.
Engage Your Social Media Channels During a Crisis
Crisis is an inevitable part of business. However, it’s how your company handles an issue that is the most telling. Social media can ultimately be the deal breaker when it comes to your organization’s ability to effectively communicate to your stakeholders during a time of adversity. Keeping an open, honest line of communication is critical whether you are keeping your stakeholders safe, informing them of an incident, or apologizing for a mistake.
National Preparedness Month
September marks National Preparedness Month. With hurricane season halfway through and winter just around the corner, there is no better time to prepare yourself, family and workplace for emergencies and disasters. Emergencies and disasters can be unexpected and devastating. That is why preparation is imperative. At the Fallston Group, we believe the more prepared you are, the better you respond and quicker you recover from such situations.
Sexual Harassment: Reducing Risk
In order to avoid the severe consequences of sexual harassment reports, prevent legal exposure, and protect managers and subordinates, the Fallston Group offers employers suggestions for reducing risk of sexual harassment in the workplace.
3 Questions to Consider: A Psychologist’s Take on Anthony Weiner
Amidst scandal, Anthony Weiner is still running his campaign. Should he be?
School and University Safety
“Providing a safe place to live, work, and raise a family is the first order of leadership,” says Rob Weinhold, Principal of the Fallston Group. Students work and sometimes live at school; therefore, school leaders must keep student safety as their first priority. A social media crisis management plan is one way that school and university leaders implement to help promote the safety of their students.
