Cost of prioritizing results over team trust

A senior leader in his company found himself in a difficult situation. During an internal investigation into a financial irregularity, his immediate subordinate’s name surfaced. It was also alleged that the senior leader had been aware of the issue but chose to overlook it. Given his good relationship with the CEO, he was presented with a choice: either testify against his subordinate or face termination. He chose the latter, opting for termination. Although the inquiry never directly implicated him, his reputation was tarnished, making his exit inevitable. A few months later, an unfinished project became critical, and the CEO, under mounting pressure, needed someone capable of completing the task. In a twist of fate, he crossed paths with the very leader he had let go. Both stood to gain: the senior leader sought to restore his reputation, while the CEO needed a swift solution to his problem. Ignoring strong resistance from the team, the CEO rehired the leader, prioritizing his immediate needs over concerns about trust and morale. Though the project was eventually completed, the decision left lingering doubts about the true cost of success. When leaders prioritize their personal interests over the principles of trust and accountability, can the outcome truly be considered a victory?

Your top performer just cost you three good employees. Here's how I know. They hit every target. Exceed every expectation. Deliver results that make the quarterly reports shine. But they're a Negative Nelly. And here's what most leaders miss...high performance doesn't cancel out high negativity. It amplifies it. When your star player constantly complains, undermines decisions, or spreads negativity, something dangerous happens. - Team morale plummets faster than you think. - Other employees start questioning their own efforts. - Good people begin updating their resumes. One negative high performer can reduce team effectiveness. They create a ripple effect that touches every project, every meeting, every interaction. But leaders keep them anyway. Why? Because those numbers look good on paper. Because replacing high performers feels risky. Because we tell ourselves that results matter more than attitude. I've seen this play out too many times. The cost of keeping toxic talent isn't just about morale. It's the innovation that never happens because people stop speaking up. It's the collaboration that dies because nobody wants to work with them. It's the trust that erodes when teams see leaders prioritizing performance over people. And for you, as a leader: It eats into your ability to remain positive. You stop being able to motivate your team. You're more likely to respond poorly when something goes wrong. Here's the uncomfortable truth: Sometimes your best performer is your biggest liability. The question isn't whether you can afford to address it. It's whether you can afford not to. --- ➕ Follow Carrie Gray, D.B.A. for more insights. ♻️ Share this post to help other leaders. --- ⚡ Ready to take your board from ho-hum to highly engaged? ⚡ Get on the waitlist for The Board Engagement Accelerator! Enrollment will reopen soon! Find the waitlist here - https://lnkd.in/er2EnHkM --- Stay Connected! 📩 Subscribe to Breakthrough Bites for weekly bite-sized insights - https://lnkd.in/eQJwg4Gt 📩 Subscribe to The Gray Matter, my monthly dose of deeper dives - https://lnkd.in/esVeG7vh

'My executives are all A-players. They just don't trust each other.' That's what a $60M CEO told me over coffee this morning. His revenue was up 40%, but his leadership team was falling apart. Sound familiar? Here's the counterintuitive truth I've learned after working with dozens of scaling companies: High performers often create low trust. Not because they're untrustworthy, but because they're too capable. Think about it. When you stack your leadership team with ambitious, competent executives, each one is used to being 'the person with the answers.' They've built careers on being right. But scaling a business isn't about being right. It's about being aligned. Last month, I watched a Chief Revenue Officer and COO nearly sink a $100M deal. Not because either was wrong - both had valid concerns. But their inability to trust each other's judgment created decision paralysis. The real cost of low trust: - 3x longer decision cycles - Duplicated efforts across departments - Missed market opportunities - Rising stress, falling margins Your smartest executives are often your biggest trust barriers because: - They have the strongest opinions - They're used to being proven right - They've succeeded through individual excellence - They struggle with shared vulnerability Want to build trust between high performers? Start here: ✅ Create shared defeats, not just shared victories. Nothing builds trust like failing together and recovering stronger. ✅ Stop celebrating individual heroes. Start rewarding collaborative wins. ✅ Make decisions visible. Trust grows in transparency and dies in darkness. ✅ Build accountability around team outcomes, not departmental metrics. Remember: You don't have a trust problem. You have an alignment challenge. Your executives don't need trust falls. They need a compelling reason to depend on each other. Curious: Have you ever had a high-performing team that struggled with trust? What turned it around? #Leadership #OrganizationalDevelopment #ExecutiveTeam

High-trust teams become high-performance teams. It doesn't always work the other way around. In fact, it rarely does. Prioritizing trust is foundational for sustainable, predictable results. Prioritizing results over trust (just hit the number!) allows all kinds of toxic behavior to fester that will kill your culture and results. This impacts (and is impacted by) how you think about attribution, marketing orchestration, cross-team collaboration and much more.

Are You Leading Like a Spreadsheet or Like a Human? Nike learned the hard way: Just because something is measurable doesn’t mean it’s what matters most. >> Nike optimized for data-driven efficiency. >> Nike cut costs and streamlined operations. >> Nike focused on short-term metrics over long-term brand trust. The result? A $25 billion loss in a single day. In his article, Erik Mashkilleyson, breaks down how Nike’s overreliance on data-driven decision-making—and the consultants who pushed it—nearly destroyed the brand’s identity. This same mistake plays out in leadership and team development every day. >> Leaders measure performance yet ignore team trust. >> Leaders track efficiency yet don’t invest in communication. >> Leaders focus on quick wins yet neglect long-term cohesion. Here’s the truth: People don’t operate like spreadsheets. When leaders only focus on what they can measure, they miss what actually drives success—engagement, adaptability, psychological safety, and shared purpose. Nike is now undoing the damage. They’re returning to what made them great. What about you? Are you leading your team like a spreadsheet, or like humans? Read Erik’s full article here. #Leadership #TeamDevelopment #BeyondTheNumbers #CultureMatters #PeopleFirst

Trust vs. Performance: The Leadership Dilemma In many organizations, the focus on performance over trust creates a breeding ground for toxic leadership. Managers who deliver results but lack integrity or empathy are often rewarded and promoted. This cycle enables individuals with passive-aggressive or narcissistic traits to rise, creating environments where fear overshadows collaboration. Untrustworthy leaders may drive short-term gains, but the cost is steep: disengaged teams, high turnover, and a culture of distrust. True leadership is not just about hitting targets; it’s about building trust, fostering psychological safety, and inspiring people to give their best. It's time we rethink how we evaluate and promote leaders. A high-performing manager who lacks trustworthiness is not a leader – they’re a liability. Let’s prioritize integrity and create workplaces where both people and performance thrive. What is more valuable in a leader: Trust or Performance? #Leadership #TrustInLeadership #ToxicWorkplaces #WorkplaceCulture #PerformanceVsIntegrity #LeadershipDevelopment #NarcissisticTraits #PsychologicalSafety #TeamBuilding