What new Uber CEO will need to do to turn company around
After building a nearly $70 billion empire in less than a decade, co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick is out at Uber. His resignation came under pressure from board members unhappy with a litany of controversies under his leadership, including a sexual harassment scandal, Kalanick's heated argument with an Uber driver caught on camera, and a federal probe into Uber's alleged use of secret software to avoid some law enforcement.
Fellow tech executive and LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said Kalanick's ousting is "a big deal" for various reasons, "not the least of which, the share of mind that Uber occupies in terms of consumers and transportation infrastructure."
The search is on for new leadership for the company. So what will a new CEO have to do to turn things around for the ride-sharing giant?
"One, recognizing that with Travis still remaining on the board, the founder of a company casts a very long shadow regardless of who that person is. So establishing the right relationship with Travis is going to be essential," Weiner said Wednesday on "CBS This Morning."
"I think second is, you could argue that changing culture is the single most difficult thing you could do to a company or an operation. And so remaining patient, managing expectations and understanding how big that challenge is," he added.
"And third is, an old friend once told me, 'trust equals consistency over time.' And it's a simple formula for a complex human dynamic, and I think it's really important that whoever steps into that situation is going to be very consistent with what it is that they're trying to accomplish and be patient," Weiner said.
As "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King alluded to the open CEO role and the need for compassionate leadership, which Weiner is known for, the LinkedIn CEO responded, "I'm very happy at my current role and I wish the new CEO, whoever that is, the best of luck."
