It’s funny how many times the same thing happens at each large company. I think people’s thought process is this:

> Oh wow! If I paid for this myself I would have spent a lot of money! Are other people spending as much as me? I’m going to create a leaderboard!

> Oh no, my misinformed manager is using the leaderboard as a slight of hand for work. I need to game this now.

Then the leaderboard is banned… I can’t see how this ever really goes up the chain beyond director.

There is zero chance that this is how the leaderboards came to be.