---
id: "concept-performance-drive"
type: "concept"
source_timestamps: ["§ Performance drive"]
tags: ["roi", "metrics", "execution"]
related: ["framework-shape-index", "concept-pilot-theater", "question-defining-ai-roi", "action-sunset-redundant-efforts", "entity-johnson-and-johnson"]
definition: "The discipline to focus on ROI, establish clear accountability, scale successful initiatives, and sunset low-impact ones."
source_url: "https://hbr.org/2025/09/what-companies-with-successful-ai-pilots-do-differently"
source_title: "What Companies with Successful AI Pilots Do Differently"
sources: ["execution"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-execution"
originDay: 8
articleStem: "hbr-foci-60-successful-ai-pilots"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/09/what-companies-with-successful-ai-pilots-do-differently"
sourceTitle: "What Companies with Successful AI Pilots Do Differently"
---
# Performance Drive (SHAPE)

## Performance Drive — the 'P' in [[framework-shape-index|SHAPE]]

The discipline to reject [[concept-pilot-theater]] in favor of strict ROI measurement and cross-functional scaling.

**Definition:** The discipline to focus on ROI, establish clear accountability, scale successful initiatives, and sunset low-impact ones.

### What high performers do
- Maintain momentum through **continuous, measurable impact**
- Establish **execution rhythms with clear accountability**
- **Sunset low-impact initiatives** (see [[action-sunset-redundant-efforts]])

### What low performers do
- **Celebrate unscaled pilots**
- Measure success via **activity metrics rather than business outcomes**
- **Keep failing initiatives alive**

### Case study
[[entity-johnson-and-johnson]] exemplifies performance drive in action: after running nearly 900 AI pilots, it shut down redundant efforts, moved governance closer to business units, and focused on scaling only the highest-impact use cases.

### Open question
The article does not specify *which* exact financial or operational KPIs best evaluate Gen AI ROI — see [[question-defining-ai-roi]].