06/22/2020

How the Age of Transparency Weakened Leadership's Iron Grip

Leaders live in a fishbowl; credibility can be destroyed in days

CrossFit is a multi-billion-dollar fitness brand. On June 7, Greg Glassman, the founder and CEO of CrossFit, tweeted an apology. “I made a mistake by the words I chose yesterday. My heart is deeply saddened by the pain it has caused. It was a mistake, not racist but a mistake.”

What was Glassman’s mistake? The day before, Glassman replied to a tweet from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). IHME had posted, “Racism is a public health issue.” Glassman’s reply read: “It’s FLOYD-19."

Glassman’s apology may have been an attempt at damage control.  After his June 6 tweet, Reebok, CrossFit’s biggest sponsor, pulled the plug on future sponsorship. Hundreds of CrossFit affiliate gyms also announced they would end working with the brand.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Chief Executive.