The Real Mess BP Needs to Clean Up

BP CEO Tony Hayward doesn't look like a leader to Harvard Business School professor Rosabeth Moss Kanter.

In a blog post on HBR.org, Kanter asserts the oil executive has failed to lead in the Gulf of Mexico crisis, and is likely to be replaced sooner than later.

Three of his most grievous leadership sins, she says:

• Doesn't model accountability. Noting Hayward has been quoted saying, "I want my life back," and "What the hell did we do to deserve this?" Kanter answers: "Mr. Hayward, it's not about you. The only consideration should be what's best for the institution and its stakeholders. Eleven workers are dead, and damage to the ecosystem and coastal livelihoods are incalculable."
• Shifts blame. Finger pointing at Transocean because it was their rig and a failure of their equipment.
• Ineffectiveness. The company needs a leader who engenders confidence, Kanter writes. "CEO Tony Hayward has had over six weeks in the spotlight to demonstrate his leadership capabilities. Yet the situation keeps getting worse: escalating damage in the Gulf and a whopping 35% drop in BP's stock price."

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(BP protest image by Fibonacci Blue, CC 2.0)