The Leadership Trap: Winning the Quarter, Losing the Game

Are We Measuring Leadership the Wrong Way?

For most organizations, “delivering results” translates into financial and operational performance—meeting revenue targets, increasing profitability, cutting costs. Leaders are pressured to hit the numbers, often with little consideration for how they achieve them.

I tend to challenge companies when they talk about ‘delivering results’, what do they really mean? Is it just about hitting financial targets, or is there more to leadership than meeting quarterly goals?

Here is the problem: if results are only measured in financial or operational terms, we create leaders who are wired for short-term success—and long-term failure.

A leader can have record-breaking results today and leave behind an organization that is completely dependent on them, struggling with weak teams, poor collaboration, and no leadership pipeline. So, is that really success?

The Real Work of a Leader: Beyond the Bottom Line

I have worked with many companies across different industries, and I keep encountering the same issue. Leaders are promoted because they were exceptional individual contributors—high performers who knew how to get things done.

But leadership is not about doing the work better than everyone else. It is about creating the conditions for extraordinary teams to thrive.

A great leader delivers results today, but also ensures results for years to come. That means:

• Developing people so that the team can function, grow, and evolve beyond the leader’s presence.
• Creating an environment where departments collaborate effectively, breaking silos to create a well-oiled value chain.
• Strengthening the company’s culture so that the right behaviors and values are embedded and sustained over time.
• Reducing dependence on their own decision-making. A true test of leadership is how well the team performs in their absence.

Now ask yourself: How many companies actually measure their leaders on these things? How often do leadership assessments focus on whether the team is thriving independently versus whether the leader is simply driving results through personal effort?

The Leadership Default: Why Do Leaders Fall Into This Trap?

When the pressure for results kicks in, leaders who have not developed these skills default to what made them successful before.

• They start micromanaging, dictating every move rather than empowering others to step up.
• They take on the most critical tasks themselves, believing only they can execute them properly.
• They become overly focused on short-term execution, prioritizing immediate results over long-term team growth.

Why does this happen? Because organizations set the wrong expectations for leadership.

If you only measure financial or operational performance, you get leaders who focus only on functional short-term performance. But what if we expanded the definition of results? What if we were able to understand that performance has to be linked to long term sustainability?

Personal Responsibility: You Define the Kind of Leader You Become

It would be easy to blame this problem entirely on companies. Many do focus only on short-term results and fail to recognize leadership that builds long-term success. Maybe you work for such a company. Maybe you have a boss who only values immediate financial or operational performance.

But here’s the reality: You, and only you, are responsible for the kind of leader you become.

It is easy to conform to the system. It is harder to challenge it. But if you want to be the best version of yourself as a leader, you have to ask yourself:

“Am I really doing the best job in a leadership role by focusing only on short-term financial or operational results?”

You cannot use a flawed system as an excuse to be a flawed leader. Even if your company only rewards immediate results, nothing is stopping you from developing your team, fostering collaboration, and strengthening the culture. The best leaders rise above their circumstances because they recognize that their legacy is not just about what they achieve, but about what they build.

What If We Measured Leadership Differently?

Imagine an organization where leaders weren’t just asked, "Did you hit your numbers?" but also:

• How many people have you developed into future leaders?
• How well does your team function when you are not around?
• How effectively do your people collaborate across departments?
• How have you strengthened the company’s culture and long-term resilience?

This is not about downplaying financial success or operational effectiveness. Companies exist to perform. But if leaders are only focused on short-term results, they are failing at their true role. The best leaders understand that their job is not just to achieve results today, but to ensure that success continues long after they are gone.

The Company’s Role: Stop Reinforcing the Wrong Behaviors

Companies play a huge role in this problem. They often reward and reinforce behaviors that prioritize immediate outcomes at the cost of long-term stability.

• Are leaders being rewarded for developing their people, or only for hitting targets?
• Are leadership promotions based on individual performance, or on how well the team operates without them?
• Do companies measure cross-functional collaboration, or do they allow departments to operate as isolated silos?
• When was the last time leadership success was evaluated based on more than financial and operational metrics?

If companies want leaders who think beyond the next quarter, they need to set expectations that reflect that. That means:

• Rewarding leaders for developing talent, not just meeting financial goals.
• Holding leaders accountable for how well their teams work across the company, not just within their own department.
• Evaluating long-term impact, not just short-term wins.

The Real Leadership Test: Can the Machine Run Without You?

A leader’s greatest legacy is not a strong quarter. It is a strong team that continues to deliver long after they have moved on.

Ask yourself:

• Are you truly building a leadership legacy, or are you just trying to win the next quarter?
• If you left tomorrow, would your team still thrive, or would everything fall apart?
• Are you measuring your success based on your personal performance, or on how well your team can function without you?

If the answer to that last question makes you uncomfortable, then it is time to rethink how we define leadership success.

Final Thought: Challenge the Status Quo

If we redefine “results” to include talent development, collaboration, and long-term growth, we do not just create better leaders—we build better companies.

The question is: Are we ready to challenge the way we measure leadership? And if your company isn’t riding this wave, are you ready to hold yourself accountable? Because at the end of the day, it’s your decision. Will you stand as a leader who sees beyond short-term financials and operational effectiveness, understanding that the true value of leadership lies in making others greater—even when you’re no longer around?

If this resonates with you and you want to build leaders who drive lasting success, let’s start that conversation, I’m sure you will be thrilled with what you can accomplish with this change in focus.

Author: Javier Castillo

The Morphing Group®

Managing Partner USA

Top Teams Strategic Alignment | Leadership Effectiveness | Cultural Transformation | Talent Management | Organizational Flow | Employee Engagement

javier.castillo@morphing.guru

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