“The Fixer”
Welcome to The Fixer, a weekly newsletter from The WayFinders Group.
You could be making headlines for all the wrong reasons, but it may not happen to you, because you’re here learning from other leaders’ spectacular missteps. Every Friday, we forensically examine the corporate crises that could have been avoided with foresight, fresh thinking, and a phone call to the right people (aka us!). We also provide the next installment of our agony aunt column, and an opportunity for reader participation with our latest poll.
FRIDAY FIASCO:
This week the BBC lost both its director-general and CEO of News, not over one scandal, but because they ran out of scandals to survive. The Gary Lineker impartiality row. The Russell Brand allegations. The Huw Edwards case. BBC Arabic’s anti-Israel bias. Climate coverage corrections. Trans debate censorship. Gregg Wallace. And finally, doctored Trump footage that the White House called “purposeful dishonesty.”
Tim Davie didn’t resign when he learned about the Trump edit in May. He and Deborah Turness resigned this week when there was nowhere left to hide. Chair Samir Shah, who was warned alongside Davie six months ago, is still in post claiming he’ll “manage this transition.”
The mission-critical problem? You can’t lead a public service broadcaster if you’re part of the problem. And you can’t rebuild trust with the public when you accept you did something wrong.
Fast forward a few days and Trump threatened a $1bn lawsuit. The Guardian called the resignations “shocking” and “way out of proportion” to the editing error. News emerged of a second editing fail. Legal experts said Trump’s case was weak. As Friday’s deadline approached, the BBC apologised but refused to pay compensation. Shah sent Trump a letter saying he and the corporation are “sorry for the edit.” But BBC lawyers have contested every claim—wrong jurisdiction, no reputational harm (he got elected president), no actual malice, no basis for defamation. Trump’s press secretary says the lawsuit will continue.
Acknowledge the cover-up publicly. Licence fee payers are still waiting for an explanation as to why leadership knew in May but kept mum until they were found out.
Apologise to the right people. Trump got Shah’s letter. The British public got legal defences. You owe viewers an apology for how this has all played out and for the actions that got the BBC here that goes beyond “it’s deeply regrettable…”
Consider how the BBC board can rebuild trust with Shah still at the helm. YouGov polling shows only 19% think the BBC is unbiased. The rest can’t agree which way the Beeb leans. Fix the editorial standards that allowed this—not just the people who got caught.
Amends will be forced on the institution by select committees and creating a public verdict on the licence fee is a risky strategy. There are options to get ahead of this and you should take them.
It’s always worth remembering that no matter how bad things seem right now, they can always get worse.
This week the BBC lost both its director-general and CEO of News, not over one scandal, but because they ran out of scandals to survive. The Gary Lineker impartiality row. The Russell Brand allegations. The Huw Edwards case. BBC Arabic’s anti-Israel bias. Climate coverage corrections. Trans debate censorship. Gregg Wallace. And finally, doctored Trump footage that the White House called “purposeful dishonesty.”
Tim Davie didn’t resign when he learned about the Trump edit in May. He and Deborah Turness resigned this week when there was nowhere left to hide. Chair Samir Shah, who was warned alongside Davie six months ago, is still in post claiming he’ll “manage this transition.”
The mission-critical problem? You can’t lead a public service broadcaster if you’re part of the problem. And you can’t rebuild trust when you won’t say you’re sorry.
Four days later, all focus is on Trump’s threatened $1bn lawsuit. The Guardian calls the resignations “shocking” and “way out of proportion” to the editing error. Legal experts say Trump’s case is weak.
If the BBC board asked for our straight-talking advice:
Acknowledge the cover-up and apologise. You knew in May. You disclosed in November. Explain why it took six month and fall on your sword.
Demonstrate accountability. Davie’s gone. But Shah, who was warned alongside him, is “managing the transition.” The board that gave Davie “unswerving support” is hiring someone to restore trust. That’s not accountability—that’s asking the arsonist to rebuild the house. If the BBC’s position stands up to scrutiny, let the legal and Parliamentary processes confirm it. The resignations were necessary but incomplete.
Make amends. YouGov polling shows only 19% of Britons think the BBC is unbiased. The rest are split on whether you’re too left-wing or too right-wing. When half your audience thinks you’re biased and can’t agree which direction, clearing out the whole henhouse is probably your only way out.
As for Trump’s lawsuit, the BBC can’t afford to get the next decision wrong.
Unfortunately the legacy of leadership failures rarely gets fixed by changing names on the door.
Why not book Leah to speak at your next event about missed warning signs, damage caused, and how to lead differently so you don’t become the one calling for help.
Face the facts
When it’s revealed that a public servant has concealed a major mistake for six months, what should happen?
- Immediate resignation when discovered
- Resignation when it becomes public
- Stay and fix it themselves
- Let the board decide
- I don’t know what’s right here
Fix me!
Dear Leah,
I’m investment director at a mid-market PE firm and one of our portfolio companies is haemorrhaging key talent six months post-acquisition. We bought this business specifically for its exceptional management team and technical expertise. The deal completed smoothly, we’ve been hands-off on operations as promised, but three senior leaders have resigned in the past two months and our talent retention bonuses aren’t working. Exit interviews reveal people feel “the culture has changed,” that decisions are now “all about the numbers,” and that the leadership team that built the business is being “sidelined by finance people.” Our operating partner insists we’re just “introducing proper governance,” but we’re watching our investment thesis walk out the door. The CEO we backed is demoralised and hinting they might leave too. How do we protect portfolio value when our very presence seems to be destroying what we bought?
— Watching value walk out the door
Dear Watching value walk out the door,
INITIAL RESPONSE: Welcome to the private equity paradox: you bought the people, but your acquisition process is driving them away. Your operating partner thinks they’re adding value through governance, but they’re actually destroying value through cultural imperialism.
READ MORE
Fodder from the floor
🔥 TEDx Global Idea Search
📅 Monday 24 November, 6.30-9.30pm
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Flawed & fixable: pop culture repair breakdowns
Selling Sunset’s “Girlsgiving” disaster. In Season 9, Episode 3, Nicole Young made a cruel comment about Chrishell Stause’s deceased parents at a team dinner meant to build peace. Nicole refused to apologise sincerely, leading to a major fight and her eventual relocation from LA to Nashville. Repair eluded the cast but here’s how it could have looked in practice:
- Name what happened – “I made a cruel comment about your deceased parents in front of colleagues.”
- Convey a real apology. Not “I’m sorry you were offended” but “I was wrong. That was cruel,” in front of the same people who witnessed the offending remarks.
- Take accountability: “I will not make personal attacks about family members, regardless of how angry I am.” Then let Chrishell and the team hold her to it.
- Give Chrishell space to decide whether they can work together. Accept consequences as legitimate. Demonstrate changed behaviour over time.
When harm happens publicly, repair needs to be public too.
