“Strong performance should not be a free pass for poor behavior.”

In one of my first job interviews, I was once asked the following question:

Rate yourself on a scale from 1 to 10.
“1” stands for project success, and “10” for team loyalty.

Where would you personally place yourself?

Of course, there was no “right answer”—or was there?

Because of my passion for sports, I immediately leaned toward team loyalty. At the same time, I didn’t want to give the impression that I wasn’t performance-driven in my thinking and work. Performance matters—but not at any cost. That was my thinking.

Back then, I immediately asked myself: Why do you have to choose? Today, I see almost every day how people try to navigate this tension—and deal with it as best as they can.

Dealing with a flaw in the system: when strong performance becomes a free pass for poor behavior.

This topic was recently raised by Oliver Kahn—and he touches on a sensitive point, not just in sports. We admire champions who break records—and top performers who go the extra mile.

But what happens when strong results come with poor behavior?

A 2022 survey found that 42% of executives tolerate unethical behavior from top performers. At the same time, more than 70% of respondents in another study say that ethics is an important value in their organization.

So where is the flaw? Why do organizations allow this to happen?

“High performer misconduct” is considered particularly difficult to sanction.

The most common reason: fear of losing performance. Performance is measurable and often receives far more attention. That’s why we don’t want to upset our top performers. In many cases, this is exactly why we don’t address issues—or simply look the other way.

When things are not spoken about, they become the norm.

“I deliver—so I’m allowed to…”

When performance is used to justify a lack of boundaries, culture becomes toxic. When talent or results are weighted too heavily, the willingness to take responsibility declines. And when teams see that top performance goes hand in hand with unacceptable behavior without consequences, leadership loses credibility—and trust disappears.

The message: performance must not stand above values.