I was disappointed to hear that Mark Hurd, the Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard was let go by the Board. But Mark made a grevous error in not sharing the simple truth with his board. What if he had simply gone to the board and said “I’m a big fan of Jodie Fisher and I want to pay her $X a month. It’s not sexual, but her input is invaluable.”
What would the Board have done? Almost certainly there would have been discussion, but they would have allowed it. And Mr. Hurd would still be CEO of H-P.
The lesson here.
Just tell the truth.
Want a great example of quiet CEO who tells the truth? 
Bob Greifeld is Chairman and CEO of NASDAQ/OMX and has been CEO since May 2003. Bob is one of the nicest men I’ve ever known, and I know Bob well. I worked directly for him at Unisys for the years 1983 to 1990. I founded and coached the company softball team – Bob played for me. And when I was married in 1988 Bob and his wife, Julia, attended. Under his leadership, NASDAQ/OMX continues to grow and prosper.
To the best of my knowledge, there has never even been a hint of scandal around Bob. He is a class act and I’m proud to know him.
Someone once told me “When you tell the truth, you never have to worry about remembering what you said.” Amen!
This is the home of the one, true Fearless Competitor.
Companies today need a Chief Content Officer. Looking for the simple guide to B2B Marketing? Download How to Find New Customers.
