We often see a dynamic in companies where some business leaders are achieving results yet are not demonstrating leadership behavior that you would want to have in your company. Senior leaders are happy with the numbers but also instinctively feel concern for the long-term company health. This dynamic leads to the fundamental question about which is more important, and the answer can be quite complicated. Ideally, you have managers who get results by utilizing the leadership behaviors you want within your company culture.

When that’s not the case, then senior leaders have a choice to make, and to choose results without consideration for the negative impact that toxic behaviors are having on the long-term health of your company is just bad leadership.

Let’s dig in to understand this common question’s subtleties and consider the various forces at work.