Coldplay controversy exposes HR vulnerability in leadership relationships

The Coldplay concert controversy has swept through the international headlines, with many employers questioning their own practices if a similar scenario were to play out at their company.

The explosive story of the chief executive of tech company Astronomer, Andy Byron, and the company's chief people officer, Kristin Cabot, being caught having an alleged affair on the big screen of a Coldplay concert has gone viral on social media – leading to Byron's resignation.

The pair were caught in a short snippet of a crowd shot on the big screen at a Coldplay gig, cuddling, with Byron's arms wrapped around Cabot while they swayed to the music. The pair were smiling until the sudden realisation that they were featured on the big screen, forcing their intertwinement to quickly unravel, their smiles to fade, and the shame to commence.