Travis Kalanick Case Summary

As the CEO of Uber, Travis Kalanick has a reputation of being a disrupting force in the transportation industry. There are many published articles about his brash nature and his aggressive tendencies related to both competitors and regulators. It is my position that taking on an interview with a seasoned comedian yielded positive results because Mr. Kalanick followed many of the “Best Practices for CEOs who want to maintain confidence of stakeholders.”
What I found interesting about this clip was that Stephen Colbert’s questions focused on both the success of the company and the perception of negative aspects with respect to Uber’s business model. It would be easy for a CEO to lament unchecked about company strengths however, I thought that
Kalanick also avoided many of the items listed in the slide of actions to avoid. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, will utilize the hosts wit and sarcasm to engage with guests to deliver information and interviews. At times, I have watched guests get overwhelmed by the moment and I would guess it would be easy to do so. It appeared that Mr. Kalanick did not let the comedic nature of the interview influence his demeanor. My perception was that he was personable and relatable while staying on point. There were two times during the interview where Mr. Kalanick could have ventured into the “don’ts of the Best Practices for CEOs.” The first was when he was asked about driving an Uber himself. While he noted his personal rating, he quickly turns the exchange back to focus on the company. In the exchange where Colbert asked about the serge pricing, there was a chance for Mr. Kalanick to respond to a perception of an ethical challenge. He did not delay in his response and gave a thoughtful answer that adequately explained the basic theory of supply and demand. He went on to express that he was aware of the ethical dilemma and indicated there was mechanisms in place to avoid a like situation in the