Love, Always Love, But Not at McDonald’s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EIKGYpMW-0

The dismissal of a successful CEO by his board for not adhering to the company’s values raises an important question: to what extent did the shareholders' implicit beliefs influence this decision?

That morning, a shocking news story spread through the early broadcasts: Steve Easterbrook, the global CEO of Mc Do’s, was fired for showing poor judgment; he had engaged in an affair with an employee. He followed his heart rather than the regulations.

This sanction is surprising considering that this CEO had, against all odds, doubled the value of the company within five years in a notably mature sector. As someone who values emotional honesty, I find myself reflecting: “Ludo, you are witnessing a historic turning point in the business world... CEO figures will topple like dominoes yet love between employees within the same company is still taboo. What is at stake right now is the supremacy of puritanical values over capitalist values.”

I feel a sense of uneasiness as I consider how internal regulations will become the guiding principles for lawyers. Moody’s will likely award AAA ratings for moral conduct. This market is about to experience upheaval; Steve is not the first nor the last to fall in love unexpectedly: Intel has set a precedent, and now Mc Do’s is following suit. Unfortunately, the media did not clarify how Steve violated the company’s procedures: is platonic love allowed? Is epistolary love permitted? I suspect that Steve's relationship was not platonic, because at Mc Do’s, we are explicitly encouraged to consume. I also feel concern for Steve’s partner, whose wage was certainly not equivalent to his.

Nonetheless, I start to question whether the Group's core values, against which this relationship was supposedly measured, provide a sufficient explanation. In a BBC article, I discover that it might not have been adherence to internal regulations that prompted the decision, but rather the pessimistic belief that love stories generally end badly.

Shareholders may worry about the instability that romantic relationships could introduce. 

Thus, to safeguard their future income, the board might have preferred to part ways with Steve immediately. They now view him as an unpredictable CEO who might lose control.

The lesson here is clear: at the heart of every strategic decision made by a board, executive committee, or management committee lies a set of beliefs. These unchallenged certainties and lenses of interpretation shape decision-making. Therefore, to make decisions more freely and independently, it is essential to uncover the beliefs that reside within these decision-making circles. This is the crucial condition to exercise free will and make informed choices. 

Without this awareness, we may easily replicate the decision-making patterns of the past.

In the meantime, Steve, there is nothing to regret: you may have lost millions of dollars because of this love story, but you held different beliefs about love than your shareholders did.