Enron's Culture of Deception

Enron's rise and fall serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of a culture that rewards deceit and unethical behavior. The company, led by CEO Jeff Skilling, fostered a chaotic environment where the appearance of profits was valued over actual financial success. Employees were incentivized to create the illusion of earnings, even at the expense of trampling over others. The culture of Enron was driven by a rank-and-yank system where employees were ranked and those in the bottom 20% would lose their jobs. This led to a culture of self-interest and manipulation, where speaking up against wrongdoing was discouraged and punished. Skilling's leadership set the tone for the whole organization, and his belief that people were motivated solely by self-interest contributed to the toxic culture that ultimately led to Enron's downfall.