Carol Bartz vs. Conan O’Brien: Who Made a Better Exit?
Take a quick look at ousted Yahoo CEO, Carol Bartz’s very public, f-bomb laden exit interview with Fortune. Then watch Conan O’Brien’s exit monologue below on his final episode of the Tonight Show from last year. If you look really, really close, you might notice a slight difference in their approaches.
Bartz could be 100% accurate in her conclusion that Yahoo’s board of “doofuses” did indeed “f@*#” her over when they fired her. Like Bartz, Conan also had grounds for arguing that his former employer NBC gave him some unsolicited carnal treatment. Unlike Bartz, Conan had even easier access to a vast public medium (his own TV show) where he too could have blasted NBC for the perceived sleight. But Bartz decided to handle her public response slightly different than Conan.
You be the judge. Who made the better exit decision?
Give me a break. Conan and his mouthpieces whined and pouted for months up to his inevitable dismissal. Like Carol Bartz he failed in his job. Unlike Carol he was handsomely rewarded for it with an opportunity to chase away viewers on TBS.
Thanks, that’s a fair point. So are you saying that Conan was a hypocrite for giving a gracious farewell speech after pouting about it earlier? But regardless of Conan’s prior behavior and whether or not it was justified, wouldn’t you have to admit that his speech probably helped his career and public image more than Carol Bartz’s Fortune interview helped hers?
He blasted NBC incessantly, then curried sympathy on his way out the door. His poor-me act certainly helped him get his gig with TBS, which he is now in danger of losing a year hence for the exact same reason he lost the Tonight Show — his self-referential shtick is amazingly effective at repelling TV viewers.
So, are you a fan of Conan then?
Thanks for the post, great points!
Hi Nick, Good stuff on here!!!
DMVawter is a hater.