Was the Colbert Cancellation a Masterclass in Corporate Hypocrisy?
Your values aren’t defined by slogans. They’re defined by decisions.
If you truly cherish your principles, state them clearly. But don’t slather them over a brand deck just to ignore them when times get tough.
Trust doesn’t erode because choices are hard. It erodes when the choices you make are hypocritical.
Values matter. Until they don’t. That’s the quiet part we don’t say out loud in business. We plaster our mission statements on walls, websites, and onboarding decks. We tell people what we stand for. But all that really matters is what we do when it’s inconvenient, uncomfortable, or unprofitable to live by those words.
That’s when the mask slips. That’s when we see whether our values are just nice words, or real drivers of decision-making.
The culture in your organization, simply put, is the way you do things there. How decisions are made, how people behave, and what behaviour is tolerated and accepted, versus what gets corrected. And leader actions are always being watched.
A Leadership Stress Test
Authentic, values-based leadership is easy when things are going well. It’s in crisis, for example public scrutiny, revenue threats, or even political pressure, that the truth comes out. Are decisions being made with integrity, vision, and courage? Or are they governed by profit margins, legal advisors, and risk mitigation?
Case in point: CBS’s recent announcement that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end its run in 2026. The news came just three days after Colbert, during one of his monologues, criticized CBS parent company Paramount Global over its handling of streaming layoffs and corporate consolidation. While CBS insists the decision was long-planned, the optics couldn’t be worse.
The timing, and the tone, of the CBS announcement raise uncomfortable questions: Is this just an unfortunate coincidence, or an example of a company protecting its image at the expense of principled reporting and Colbert’s brand of entertainment?
It’s not the first time CBS or Paramount has come under fire. As recently as May, the network faced allegations of softening political coverage to avoid friction with the White House, following a string of executive-level meetings with senior government officials.
All of this got me wondering about the culture at CBS and Paramount, and so I ask: Do CBS or Paramount include “integrity” or “courage” in their corporate values? And, if so, do they really mean it?
A Counterpoint from Cambridge
I can’t help but contrast all of this with what’s happening at Harvard. In the face of mounting political pressure and threats to federal funding, Harvard has stood firm. The university has publicly defended academic freedom, upheld its faculty, maintained its commitment to institutional independence, and updated its website to inform the public of the fallout of the “punishment” they have been handed for staying true to their morals.
It’s a striking contrast. Harvard’s values aren’t just statements, they’re the spine behind its decision-making. And when they say, “Our people are at the heart of everything we do,” we believe them. Not because it’s catchy, but because they back it up with consistent, courageous action.
A Message to Leaders
Leaders, if you only remember one thing, let it be this: you don’t get to define your values; your actions do.
If you value your reputation more than your principles, just say so. But don’t confuse a marketing slogan with a moral compass. Be honest with yourself and your teams about what you actually value, before you’re tested. That clarity will make the hard decisions easier, and the fallout less severe.
Because here’s the truth: people don’t lose trust when you make tough decisions. They lose trust when you make hypocritical ones.
“People follow leaders who are real, not perfect,” writes leadership expert Brené Brown.
So don’t just ask what’s right for the business. Ask what’s right, period. That’s the real test of leadership.
