Friday, August 11, 2017

Is Google CEO Sundar Pichai's Job in Jeopardy Because of His Firing of James Damore?

New York Times columnist David Brooks writes:
There are many actors in the whole Google/diversity drama, but I’d say the one who’s behaved the worst is the C.E.O., Sundar Pichai....

 Either Pichai is unprepared to understand the research (unlikely), is not capable of handling complex data flows (a bad trait in a C.E.O.) or was simply too afraid to stand up to a mob.

Regardless which weakness applies, this episode suggests he should seek a nonleadership position. We are at a moment when mobs on the left and the right ignore evidence and destroy scapegoats. That’s when we need good leaders most.
Wow, when a top establishment columnist goes after a high profile CEO that CEO is in trouble.

Brooks is, of course, correct here. It appears that Pichai is part of the social justice warrior crowd himself or  was too weak to stand up to them. That is not leadership in the current environment.

As I point out, it is likely going to be more difficult for Google to recruit programmers after the Damore firing. That will be a concern of Google shareholders,

-RW

1 comment:

  1. How the worm turns. Brooks would have been walking point for the lynch mob in times past, but ahem, the climate has changed. Imagine that. What a hypocrite. How about Brooks taking a non leadership silent position in his new job as dogcatcher somewhere out in the Midwest?

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