The Metric Trap That Can Derail Your CEO Transition

How chasing the wrong numbers can sabotage your systems, your team, and your legacy

There’s a quiet trap hiding in your dashboard.

It looks like success.

It sounds like growth.

But it slowly pulls you away from what you actually want.

It’s the mistake of obsessing over the number, instead of improving the system that produces it.

From Owner-Operator to CEO: Metrics Become Your Dashboard

As an owner-operator, you could see what was happening and adjust in real time.

But stepping into the CEO role is different. You’re building an autonomous team. You’re not in the weeds anymore, you’re overseeing systems.

Metrics become your cockpit.

They tell you how something is running, but not why.

The speedometer tells you how fast the car is moving.

If you are targeting a desired speed but you are not paying attention to what is happening under the hood, it doesn't tell you the engine’s about to blow.

And that’s where the danger starts.

When the Metric Becomes the Target

In the absence of clarity, pressure takes over. You need results. You demand numbers.

But here’s the truth:

“When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure.” — Goodhart’s Law

When you chase the metric instead of fixing the system behind it, you lose visibility into what’s really happening.

Dr. Donald Wheeler outlined it clearly—when faced with an undesirable number, people will:

1. Improve the system

2. Distort the system

3. Distort the data

Only one of those drives lasting business performance.

In Healthcare, People Are the System

You’re not running a SaaS company. You’re running a human-powered business.

In healthcare, your product is delivered through people—and every number on your dashboard reflects a system powered by people, processes, behaviors, attitudes and decisions.

Let’s say you’re tracking visits per episode of care. If that number drops, you can’t just tell your team “fix it.” You have to diagnose what’s really going on.

That means looking at five levers.

The 5 Levers of System Performance

1. People

Who’s responsible for the outcome? Are schedulers aligned with clinical needs? Does your team have the tools, clarity, and training to succeed?

2. Process

Are your workflows, documentation, and technology set up to support patient care—or are they creating friction?

3. Behaviors

Are therapists managing care plans intentionally? Do you reward proactive case management—or reactive chart completion? Are the staff behaviors aligned with success? Are they consistent?

4. Attitudes

What do your people believe about productivity, performance, and quality? Are they bought into what you are trying to accomplish? Attitude drives behavior. Behavior over time drives results.

5. Decisions

What past choices—like accepting low-paying contracts or choosing a clunky EMR—are quietly sabotaging performance today? What decisions are you kicking down the road where you already know the answer but fear, pain or something else gets in the way?

The Slippery Slope

When you demand performance without clarity, bad things happen.

People get scared. Corners get cut. Numbers get padded.

That’s not leadership. That’s survival mode.

Metrics Are a Mirror, Not a Hammer

As a CEO, your job is not to chase numbers.

It’s to build systems that generate results—consistently, ethically, and sustainably.

Metrics are there to reveal how your system is running, not to replace sound decision-making.

Build a Business That Works Because of You—Not Only With You

You’re not stepping into the CEO seat just to push paper or track KPIs.

You’re here to show up with purpose

To build something meaningful.

To create time freedom.

To lead with integrity.

To leave a legacy you’re proud of.

And that starts with this question:

Which of the five levers—People, Process, Behaviors, Attitudes, or Decisions—needs your attention right now?

Let metrics guide your eyes—but let leadership guide your actions.

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