Ex-HP CEO describes 'crisis' of leadership

Former Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Officer Lew Platt raised some Philadelphia natives' hackles by citing the NFL's New England Patriots' recent rise to success as a model of good leadership

Yesterday, Platt, a 1966 Wharton MBA graduate and the interim head of Boeing, spoke to students and faculty about the idea of business ethics and leadership in a ever-changing business environment.

"Leadership generally always tells the difference between great organizations, good organizations and poor organizations," he said.

He believes the business world is in a time of crisis.

According to Platt, the threat of terrorism and the general distrust of the business environment and its leaders have contributed to the crisis.

"We're in a period when leadership is more critical then it has ever been, maybe even more critical now than it will be 10 years from now," Platt said.

He added that he has dealt with this corruption and mistrust in the business world.

In recent months both Platt's former and current company have come under fire for ethical issues.

Hewlett-Packard recently fired its CEO, Carly Fiorina. Platt said that although she was his choice to follow him, "she certainly never got in touch with the culture or the substance of the organization."

Platt recalled that the previous CEOs were all "techno geeks."

Fiorina, however, shied away from those responsibilities, which led to her ouster.

Two top executives at Boeing have also been fired in recent months and now face jail time for unethical business dealings with the U.S. government.

Platt said he firmly believes in ethics and is greatly troubled by these leaders' actions.

"I've been forced to conclude that something has gone wrong in the business world," he said.

"The pendulum is swinging hard," he said. "There will be a spotlight on business leadership like never before."

Platt also offered advice for young undergraduates hoping to succeed in the business world.

"Make sure you get a variety of experiences," he said, adding that diverse job experiences make workers more attractive candidates for jobs.

Wharton MBA student Paul De Martini was particularly struck by Platt's advice to students that you "can't get to be the same kind of leader you will be at 60 when you're 30."

DeMartini said that "you have to adapt your leadership style according to the culture of a certain organization."

He also noted "the contrast between how some leaders come in and understand how to embrace a culture and work within that culture to get things done versus trying to impose their way on a company with no regard for what's been in place."

Platt's speech was part of the Wharton Leadership Lectures.

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