News Analysis: It's the Culture

Rosenthal needn't worry about patenting Raines's managerial style. It's already practiced in countless corporations, including most of those that have imploded in scandal in recent years. Is Raines's failure so different from Ken Lay's failure at Enron? Both failed to create cultures of candor -- organizations where employees know they can deliver bad news and their bosses will listen even if they don't like what they are hearing. The Times even had its version of Enron whistle-blower Sherron Watkins. At least one person, metropolitan editor Jonathan Landman, delivered the bad news, told the truth, and tried to expose Blair. Raines, it turned out, just wasn't much of a truth listener. If he was, how long would Blair have lasted before one of his disaffected colleagues -- or a half-dozen of them -- had exposed him to Raines? Speaking truth to power is essential, but it's only half of the equation. Cultures in which power welcomes truth tend to solve their problems internally. They discover and deal with their Jayson Blairs before their Jayson Blairs make headlines. A culture of candor isn't just some warm, fuzzy way to cosset employees. It's good business.

Whoever follows Raines at the Times, he or she must have the strength of character to invite thoughtful criticism, from whatever quarter. Whenever leaders waver in their willingness to hear the truth, however distasteful, they should remind themselves of the fate of those who have covered their ears, from Julius Caesar to such latter-day casualties as former Compaq CEO Eckhard Pfeiffer. Under Pfeiffer, Compaq fell farther and farther behind its competitors because he listened only to his A list of yes men and ignored his truth-telling B list, who repeatedly tried to warn him that Dell was gaining ground, and fast.

Let me be frank. For all of its flaws, the New York Times is a national treasure. No matter where I am, I begin my day by reading it from the first page to last. In fact, I still call it The Times, to the consternation of my friends at my hometown paper, the Los Angeles Times. So I want to end with three pieces of advice for Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and the others who must now find a replacement for Raines.

1. Forget the numbers game.

Whether it's 7 or 15 Pulitzers, it doesn't matter how many prizes you win if you damage your real prize -- your talent -- in the process. Uncaring, arrogant leadership that values accolades at any cost is always inappropriate, but it is especially ill-suited to idea-driven organizations such as the Times. Whatever their titles or official positions, talented people have their own power. They have the power to walk. They will not stay in an organization that treats them like cattle, even if the name on the building is as august as the New York Times. Raines and his more imperious predecessors polarized their staffs and made them compete with each other for newsroom resources, including the favor of the executive editor. Such intramural competition ends up making people less creative, not more creative.

2. Talented people need appreciation.

We all pay lip service to the importance of acknowledging the good work of others, but most organizations can't bring themselves to do it. Like everyone else, gifted people want someone to notice a heroic effort or a distinguished piece of work. Instead of keeping his staff off balance, Raines should have devoted more of his time to praising them for the stories that won seven Pulitzers and for all the others that might have. So many otherwise able managers act as if compliments come out of their bank accounts. Had Raines sat down every morning and sent an email of praise to those responsible for the paper's 10 best stories, we would be writing about his superb management instead of analyzing what went wrong.

3. The new executive editor must have a genius for forging newsroom alliances and creating the sense that we are all in this grand game together.

Whoever is in charge, the New York Times is so rich with talent that it will survive. But if it had a truly creative, collaborative person at the top, the Times could become the envy of the information economy and a thriving, happy workplace. Do that, and the Pulitzers will follow.

Warren Bennis is professor of management at USC and the author or coauthor of more than two dozen books, including the best-sellers On Becoming a Leader and Organizing Genius (with Pat Ward Biederman).