He kept his calm, and his chain of accountability included bringing in fresh talent that he could "count on in a real battle"; he created a "completely new set of rules, processes, and procedures" plus a new code or practice. Part of the accountability chain was accomplished by reviewing every process, rewriting every manuals and creating new ones -- and because Eni had never sold things, only purchased things, a whole process for selling assets had to be put in place.
His philosophy was he had to make all the important decisions alone. "It can be very dangerous to listen too much to others or depend on them," he said (Hill, 193). And besides the inner compass, which was basically his conscience, he also had a sense of "strategic direction" even while the whole company was collapsing around him. People began to follow him simply because he was "determined"; whether they agreed with his objectives or his style, they saw he was focused like a laser on how to turn Eni around and they followed his leadership.
Backgrounder
When a huge, multinational government-run corporation has too little oversight, and too many executives are corrupt, and profits are being leached away by people acting in criminal fashion, a strong leader is needed. Before anything else can be done, before the government entity can be taken public and cleaned of its tawdry image, a strong leader with the confidence of the public and the government legislators needs to be brought in.
Once he is in place, a thorough audit must be taken in order to determine where the fiscal problems are so they can be audited and attacked with good management. Shedding a unwieldy conglomeration of excess baggage is not an overnight task, especially when the government runs it. Key to getting a leg up on a massive challenge like this -- even if the existing leadership of the corporation isn't behind you, and some in fact are being tossed in prison due to corruption -- requires brainpower, strategic insights, patience, knowledge of what has gone on and what needs to change, and the ability...
But when the roof caves in on the company's credibility, heads must roll, and new talent has to be put in place and trained thoroughly to show the public that changes are in progress. I would have urged the public to support taking Eni public long before the corruption scandal hit. But since the politicians ruled the roost, called the shots, and the company was unwieldy and spread out across the globe, the crisis did come to fruition. With a strong trusted leader in place, the crisis must be brought out in the open. There can be no secret back-room deals to excuse anyone that should be held accountable.
Containing and resolving the crisis can be done by: a) taking an audit to show the public something dramatic is being done and discovering meantime how deep the crisis really is; b) using the results of the audit as justification for radical changes; c) bringing in a neutral, objective outside expert on employee integrity, and firing those individuals that have been riding political coattails rather than working hard; and d) changing the political structure and creating a new culture of eager, bright, well-educated employees that are willing to take instruction.
Conclusion
There are many companies -- both public and private -- in the global marketplace today that need to be revamped, reorganized, and cleaned of corruption. The problem likely lies in the fact that there is a dearth of leaders like Franco Bernabe. The work that Bernabe has done is clearly transformative in Italy, and if there are young leaders that want to learn the ropes of how to transform a losing, struggling corporate situation into a profitable, productive organization, they need to start by reviewing the steps that Bernabe has taken.
Works Cited
Hill, Linda, and Wetlaufer, Suzy. (1998). Leadership When There Is No One to Ask: An
Interview with Eni's Franco Bernabe. Harvard Business Review.
