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  • February 18, 2022
  • Article
  • Wall Street Journal (online)

Why Really Smart Executives Do Really Stupid Things

By: Rosabeth M. Kanter
  • Format:Electronic
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Abstract

CEO exits due to workplace misconduct are all too common. Over and over we hear about top officials at companies, universities or in government resigning, either because they had affairs with subordinates in their inner circles or made verbal advances to junior workers that went too far.
These fallen chiefs are generally very smart people, often with stellar career histories. So why do they allow themselves to get involved in situations that allegedly or actually violate standards they helped set or signed off on? What is it about life at the top that seduces them (so to speak) into forgetting that the rules apply to them, too?

Keywords

CEO; Misconduct; Management; Behavior

Citation

Kanter, Rosabeth M. "Why Really Smart Executives Do Really Stupid Things." Wall Street Journal (online) (February 18, 2022).
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About The Author

Rosabeth M. Kanter

General Management
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  • How Miami Can Become a Global Climate Solutions Hub By: Rosabeth M. Kanter
  • Colette Phillips and GetKonnected: Creating Inclusive Ecosystems By: Rosabeth M. Kanter and Ai-Ling Jamila Malone
  • The Case for Having a Boring CEO By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter
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