There was a legitimate need for change in parts of the organization, as some processes and mindsets had become outdated and resistant to improvement. That said, executive leadership has swung the pendulum way too far in the other direction. Unfortunately, the CEO has created a culture that is driving away many of the very people and capabilities they need to succeed. While leadership is highly intelligent and technically capable, there is a significant gap when it comes to people management and motivation. The ELT often come across as believing they are the smartest people in the room, which leaves employees feeling undervalued and dismissed rather than empowered. Input from experienced team members is frequently ignored and anyone who challenges decisions or offers a different perspective risks being labeled as difficult, resistant to change, or excluded from future opportunities.
There is also a noticeable lack of accountability at the executive leadership level. When initiatives fail or results fall short — even things like safety metrics and plant openings — responsibility is often pushed downward rather than owned by those making the decisions and leading the teams. At the same time, the CEO and her direct reports regularly speak about the importance of culture, people, safety, and engagement, but employee experiences, morale, and safety records suggest the opposite. Actions and outcomes do not align with their messaging.
Favoritism also plays a significant role in advancement and influence within the company. Employees who are part of exec leadership’s inner circle blatantly receive different treatment than those who are not. This has created an environment where many employees feel they must stay quiet rather than provide honest feedback, or that there feedback won’t be listened to regardless. They also feel that there’s no room for advancement if you don’t “worship” the CEO and agree with everything she says.
Perhaps most concerning is the disconnect between leadership’s confidence in its direction and the actual business results. There is a strong belief among leaders that they are making all the right moves and legacy Lubrizol employees were doing everything wrong, yet employee morale continues to decline and business performance has not reflected that their strategies work. (But of course the actual poor business results are not the faults of the CEO and her team; it’s everyone else’s fault for not executing their plans correctly.)
Many long-tenured and even short-tenured employees like myself are frustrated, disengaged, and/or actively looking elsewhere. And the belief is that is exactly what the ELT wants.
If you want to be comfortable, collect a decent paycheck, and don’t mind feeling like a number or being micromanaged, work for Lubrizol. There’s definitely worse places. But if you want to work for people who you believe in and who motivate you, my suggestion is to look elsewhere.
