EQ Moment #4:
“I’d like my life back,” says BP CEO

Tony Hayward rose quickly through the ranks of corporate infamy because of a simple statement made during the largest oil spill in US history. This quote became an oft-used sound bite, used to represent the out-of-touch C-Suite in business today. As facts about the cause of the accident slowly unfolded, and thousands of gallons of oil rushed into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Tony Hayward was one of several spokespeople the media relied on for answers, and BP relied on for leadership and poise.

Hayward lacked emotional intelligence when it mattered most. He was obviously aware of his own feelings about the event, but was blind to how sharing them would affect others. Hayward had not fully grasped the gravity of the situation or what was happening to the people in the gulf, and presumably didn’t try to put himself in the shoes of those affected by the spill. It was ridiculously inappropriate to portray himself as a “victim” of the disaster. His true colors shone brightly under the pressure of the spotlight, which in turn dimmed his—and BP’s—relationship with the public. Hayward’s low EQ had a direct and negative impact on the company’s bottom line.

A few days later, Hayward’s perspective had seemingly changed. He said, “I made a hurtful and thoughtless comment on Sunday when I said that ‘I wanted my life back.’ When I read that recently, I was appalled. I apologize, especially to the families of the 11 men who lost their lives in this tragic accident. Those words don’t represent how I feel about this tragedy, and certainly don’t represent the hearts of the people of BP—many of whom live and work in the Gulf—who are doing everything they can to make things right. My first priority is doing all we can to restore the lives of the people of the Gulf region and their families—to restore their lives, not mine.”

This response was emotionally intelligent, and a decent attempt at a save, but it was already too late—the perception of the CEO as being self-centered and out-of-touch was cemented in people’s minds. Though we may never really know why Hayward resigned, he became the villain figure for the entire tragedy, and thus a huge liability for BP. Perhaps in resigning he had decided it was indeed time to get his life back.