Signal One in three leaders name short-termism as a barrier to fixing productivity stagnation

Summary

McKinsey's 2026 survey finds that one in three leaders see short-termism as an obstacle to tackling the root causes of stalled productivity. They point to an unclear focus on short-term cost cutting and a lack of long-term orientation. In the survey's ranking, this barrier ties with organizational silos at the top, each at 30 percent. The report sums up the problem as leaders cutting costs rather than building genuine value. It places the finding among mindset and culture barriers, alongside rewards for functional rather than enterprise-wide success and a backward-looking focus on avoiding past failures. The implication is that productivity programs framed only as savings may leave underlying process problems in place.