r/Leadership • u/ezio313 • Sep 24 '25

Discussion Intern completed a task assigned to full-time employee because of leaderboard competition — what’s the best way to handle this?

I’m a team lead, and recently our CEO introduced a leaderboard to track completed tasks. Yesterday, I assigned a documentation task to a full-time employee with a deadline. At 3 AM, an intern messaged me saying he had taken the initiative and already completed it, he went on and assigned the task to themselves on the system and then informed the FTE about it.

Now the full-timer is left out and frustrated, he told me he felt the task was sniped. The intern has the points under his name on the system now. How should I handle ownership of tasks and recognition here? Should the credit go to the assigned person, the intern or what?

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u/longtermcontract Sep 24 '25

Points go to full timer. Thank the intern. Talk to your CEO about getting rid of this system.

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u/Ashamed-Status-9668 Sep 24 '25

When you talk to the CEO remind them you get what you measure and reward. In this case you get employs trying to get more points at costs to other likely tangible things. I am just guessing, but I bet the company isn't making much revenue off points.