It's only a fine...

Last week, the Murdoch family's succession battle finally ended with a £2.4 billion settlement that essentially bought out three siblings' dissenting voices to preserve one man's political vision. What's being framed as "family resolution" is actually a masterclass in how power dynamics destroy relationships - and why the same patterns that hijack personal conversations also hijack entire institutions.

The real scandal isn't the political disagreements or even the eye-watering price tag. It's the attempt to control outcomes rather than engaging with the underlying conflict. 

What this teaches us about discomfort with conflict:

The Murdoch saga is what  happens when powerful people would rather pay to avoid difficult conversations than actually have them. This isn't succession planning - it's conflict avoidance on an industrial scale. Buying people out doesn't address the root of the problem  - it just moves it somewhere else. The political disagreements that split this family haven't been resolved; they've been financially redirected.

The brutal truth about avoiding hard conversations:

Whether it's a media empire or your management team, the moment you decide some voices are too uncomfortable to hear, you've already chosen destruction over transformation. The Murdochs didn't just lose £2.4 billion - they lost the possibility of being a family business and were systematically excluded from any future influence because their perspectives threatened Rupert's vision. 

Every time you choose to pay a problem away rather than face it, you're teaching your organisation that difficult conversations are so toxic they're worth billions to avoid. You're also missing the opportunity to find solutions that nobody initially imagined.

Whether its billions or thousands, money does not a relationship keep.

Dear Leah,

I’m Chief People Officer dealing with our highest-performing leader who’s also our biggest cultural problem. This person - let’s call them Alex - runs our most profitable division and consistently delivers 150% of target. The problem is, Alex’s leadership style is destroying people. High turnover, stress-related absences, and exit interviews consistently mention Alex’s “aggressive management” and “unrealistic demands.”

I’ve had three separate HR complaints in the past six months, but when I raised this with our CEO, the response was essentially, “Can we afford to lose someone who brings in £20 million annually?” Alex’s defence is always that “high performance requires high standards” and that people today “can’t handle pressure.” The irony is that Alex is genuinely talented and could probably achieve the same results with better people skills, but seems completely blind to the damage being caused. Meanwhile, other division heads are starting to copy Alex’s style because they think that’s what gets rewarded.

How do I address a performance versus culture dilemma when the CEO clearly values results over everything else?

— The Culture vs. Performance Paradox

Dear Managing a Cultural Problem, You're watching your CEO trade long-term company value for short-term division performance. The real problem isn't Alex - it's a leadership team that's confused profit with sustainable success.

Find clarity fast - Our same-day diagnostic gives you immediate understanding of what's broken and a clear roadmap to fix it. Perfect when you need urgent direction before making critical decisions.

Fix conflicts properly - Through board mediation, team mediation, and conflict resolution training, we facilitate genuine resolution that strengthens relationships rather than just managing disputes.

Email [email protected] 

About The WayFinders Group

You know those moments when board conflicts spiral out of control, your leadership team can't function, or you're dealing with the aftermath of an organisational crisis? That's exactly when you need The WayFinders Group.

Founded by lawyer and accredited mediator Leah Brown FRSA, we help leaders improve the bottom line by resolving conflict and restoring workplaces from chaos to clarity. We're the multi-disciplinary team you call when traditional HR solutions aren't enough and you need systematic transformation, not just damage control. Our proven approach works because we don't just address symptoms - we tackle root causes delivering reductions in workplace conflicts and helping organisations avoid costly tribunals whilst rebuilding stakeholder trust. Our track record includes transforming private companies, NHS trusts, police forces, sports teams, and educational institutions, plus handling the kind of boardroom breakdowns and CEO crises that end careers if mismanaged. We ensure sustainable transformation rather than quick fixes.

Future-proof after crisis - Our post-crisis restoration programme systematically repairs organisational culture over 90 days, ensuring lasting transformation rather than temporary fixes.

Find your way forward - Whether a merger gone wrong, a scandal brewing, or simply the sense that your organisation has lost its way - we help leaders chart a course to calmer waters.

Email [email protected]