Why leaders are using KPIs wrong

Jon and Kory discuss why the metrics designed to improve performance can sometimes lead businesses in exactly the wrong direction.Kory explains why e.l.f. does not tie compensation directly to KPIs, and why misaligned targets can discourage creativity, distort decision-making and even put good people at risk.They also tackle a growing leadership problem: treating KPIs as instructions rather than information. How high should targets be? When do they create useful focus, and when do they become a ceiling? And what should leaders use instead when the work requires judgement, experimentation and long-term thinking?Timestamps00:00 - Start01:01 - Do KPIs kill creativity?02:56 - Goodhart’s law03:31 - Why e.l.f. do not have compensation based KPIs06:50 - Why misaligned KPIs can get you fired09:37 - Can KPIs hold you back?13:25 - People are using KPIs like AI14:19 - How high should you set KPIs16:19 - The better way to approach KPIs19:09 - Are KPIs out?