KPIs are not Strategy

Stop confusing the dashboard for the destination.

Early in my career, I worked for a CEO who picked a new metric to obsess over each year.

Not because it tied to a business goal,

And not because it was part of a broader strategy;

It was because he saw it in a magazine,

Or heard another founder rave about it at lunch.

One year: ✨Gross margin✨

Suddenly nothing else mattered.

We weren’t allowed to discount,

Couldn’t do promo bundles,

And sales were blocked from closing deals unless margins hit the mark.

On paper, our margin looked great!

But:

• Volume completely tanked

• Cash got locked up in inventory

• Revenues dropped

• And Profits fell.

Why?

Because the metric became the goal.

Here's the thing:

And metrics are mirrors — not maps.

They show you what’s happening;

Not where to go.

Too many teams chase numbers without asking:

What business outcome are we optimizing for?

That’s not strategy.

That’s dashboard worship.

Next time someone tells you a KPI is “the most important thing”, ask:

“According to whom? For what outcome?”

Otherwise, you might hit your number

And still miss the point.

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