Two situations this week remind us that CEOs should take accountability for mistakes in their companies.

On an investor call, Home Depot CEO Craig Menear said retail theft is on the rise:

“This is happening everywhere in retail. We think this ties to the opioid crisis, but we’re not positive about that.”

Menear faced criticism on Twitter for blaming the opioid crisis rather than taking responsibility for product loss at a warehouse.

On another call, Costco CFO Richard Galanti talked about losses because of a website crash:

"It was unfortunate. Despite all the efforts to have plenty of processing capacity, if you will, there was something that occurred." He also acknowledged, “[W]e did leave something on the table.”

In both situations, the executives could be more direct.

Discussion:

• Do you agree with my assessment? Why or why not?

• What evidence should Costco provide to back up its claim?

• What else could the executives have said differently? (Hint: Note Galanti’s use of passive voice.)

• In addition to accountability, what leadership character dimensions are illustrated by these examples?