How to Push Back Against Your CEO’s Bad Decision

When a CEO's mandate shifts from "build for the future" to "deliver results this quarter," even the best strategies can start to erode an organization's long-term competitiveness. Under pressure from investors, boards, or incentive structures that reward immediacy, even well-intentioned CEOs often default to visible short-term moves, such as cost cuts, restructures or product launch delays, to signal responsiveness. These actions may boost near-term earnings but often create hidden costs that compound over time: lost momentum, declining trust, and the quiet exit of top talent.

McKinsey research shows companies with a long-term focus grow revenues nearly 50 percent faster and create significantly more jobs than those prioritizing short-term gains. Yet those advantages often remain invisible to leaders navigating immediate demands. And short-term urgency doesn’t stop with the CEO; it cascades through the organization. For senior leaders caught in the middle, the challenge isn’t whether to comply but how to protect the organization's future while executing within current constraints.

This was the challenge facing “Tom,” the chief product officer at a global media company we worked with. When the CEO cut R&D budgets, announced a hiring freeze, and delayed a flagship product launch to hit quarterly earnings targets, Tom saw an immediate risk: erosion of the innovation pipeline, customer confidence, and the capabilities the company needed to compete effectively.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Harvard Business Review.