Uber’s CEO Found an Unhappy Compromise

Travis Kalanick’s leave of absence from Uber Technologies Inc. makes just about everyone unhappy. Whether you want the chief executive officer to stay or go, it’s a disappointment because it tries to split the difference. If you’re a Kalanick loyalist and would like to see him continue to have a big role at the company, this is a moment of weakness. If you think Kalanick is the core problem at Uber, there was a failure to act decisively, and he still remains in the mix. The fact that neither camp is happy only helps fuel the conflict further.

Kalanick’s role at Uber remains—by far—the most important factor within the company. If the goal is to put the company’s controversial past behind it, then keeping Kalanick on as CEO seems like it will be a barrier to that, at least so long as there’s a large contingent that thinks he needs to go. Kalanick allegedly played a role in the India rape debacle and attended the South Korean karaoke bar that was the subject of a human-resources claim. He’s CEO of a company that allegedly failed to respond to Susan Fowler’s human-resources complaints. And then, after a more thorough review of personnel infractions, the company fired more than 20 people. Emil Michael, who was ousted as a result of former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder’s recommendations, wasn’t the guy in charge—just the guy’s closest confidant.