The Scoreboard Is Lying to You

Suppose you took the worst team in the NFL and dropped them into a college football schedule. We’re talking the team that went 3 and 14 and whose fans have already turned their attention to next year’s draft. What would happen?

They would go undefeated. It would be a blowout every Saturday. The quarterback would now look like a Heisman candidate and the mood in the locker room would suddenly be electric. Guys who spent the NFL season doubting themselves would be strutting around like champions.

But in this scenario, the team is exactly as mediocre as it was in October when they were getting embarrassed on national television. Not a single player got better, and not one scheme improved. The only thing that changed was the competition.

Now ask yourself: Is this happening at my company?

In my experience, one of the most pervasive CEO failings is getting comfortable with a management team that LOOKS like it’s winning, but only because it’s playing easy games — and believing a scoreboard that …