Not many firms have had the continued bad press as Uber has over the past couple years. Sued on their business and employment practices and then on their self-driving car technology. Employees filing numerous sexual harassment and discrimination suits. Now the private Board throws out the Founder and CEO, Travis Kalanick. Mr. Kalanick is a self-described bad boy who admitted before his firing that he needed help managing the company. He is also the person most people believe created and encouraged the firm’s toxic culture.
Uber has fired some twenty managers and brought a couple female executives on board. But all of these measures may be too little and too late. So what is Uber to do?
Leadership and Culture are the flip side of each other. What Uber needs is not only a new CEO but a new senior management team. Uber should also replace most of the Board, especially the long time Directors. Mr. Kalanick is no longer CEO but he was allowed to remain on the Board, which is another mistake. Why? Because it will take a new CEO, senior team and Board to create a new corporate culture. This is not an easy or a quick thing to do. Leadership starts at the top and that is the Board. If the existing Board could not figure out the many legal problems and ethical missteps that Mr. Kalanick and his team were subjecting the firm to, they need to be replaced. Actions speak much louder than words. And major cultural change, in this and most cases, must start at the top. The Board is who everyone in a company look to for guidance.
Uber is often cited as an example of industry disruption as taxi cabs are disappearing. But Uber has other capable competitors like Lyft. These competitors may find a way to gain an advantage while Uber tries to rebuild both its Leadership and Culture. We will see if Uber can truly change and survive.
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