Why Are We Still Rewarding Executive Failure?

Another CEO steps down after a disastrous tenure… and walks away with a multimillion-dollar severance package. The company? In shambles. The employees? Laid off or burned out. The shareholders? Furious.

But somehow, the executive exits with a handshake, a tribute, and a golden parachute.

Let’s be honest: we’ve normalized failure bonuses. When did “destroying value” become a billable service? Severance should be tied to real performance.

We need to stop celebrating incompetence at the top—and start protecting the organizations, teams, and customers that suffer the consequences.

If you leave a company worse than you found it, your bonus should be redirected to the people who stayed.

Just a thought!