Hey Chris, not sure if you ever visit this site, but in the event that you do, I'd like to ask you how it feels to so widely hated by the people who actually worked with you?
Perhaps it doesn't matter much. After all, despite the damage you did at Mutual, you walked away with millions in compensation, long-term incentive payouts, and what is likely a very generous exit package. Financially, you came out just fine. Better than many of the people who were laid off.
Now, seeing that your book on the market, it's clear you still see yourself as a great leader. I'm sure inner circle of sycophants will continue to admire you. But for many of the hundreds of employees who experienced your leadership firsthand, the reality is very different: the bullying, arrogance, elitism, and a management style that left people demoralized rather than inspired.
Sure, you'll say that we simply don't understand the complexities of running a financial services company. Perhaps there were problems you inherited. But you led the organization for more than a decade. That's more than enough time to leave your own mark.
Instead, year after year the company's financial performance disappointed, while you and the other senior executives continued to receive substantial bonuses. Many employees paid the price through layoffs, heavier workloads, and declining morale, while leadership was richly rewarded.
History has a way of sorting these things out. Titles disappear. Severance gets spent. Books are forgotten. What remains is the legacy people remember.
For many who worked with you, that legacy isn't one of leadership. It's one of fear, arrogance, and missed opportunity.
Money can buy comfort, but it can't buy respect. That has to be earned. And that's one thing that you will never have big guy.