How to Push Back Against Your CEO's Bad Decision

Harvard Business Review (Dec 15, 2025) by Kathryn Landis and Jenny Fernandez addresses the moment a CEO's mandate shifts from "build for the future" to "deliver this quarter" under investor, board or incentive pressure — producing visible short-term moves (cost cuts, restructurings, product-launch delays) whose hidden costs compound: lost momentum, declining trust, quiet exits of top talent. Reframes the senior executive's job as stewardship — disciplined loyalty to the company's future — not defiance. Speaks directly to SEA mid-market CFO/COO leaders pushed by founder-CEOs toward quarter-end optics over multi-year value.