Are you interested in a successful result - whether the success or failure directly impacts you or not? Or are you interested in covering your butt?Most folks (me too sometimes) are interested in protecting themselves first and foremost. Bottom-line thinking (i.e. the overall and cumulative success of a business) is usually something left to the Chief alone - and even then the buck may not truly stop there.
But the reality is that without Bottom-line-focused approaches to business problems, the overall viability of your position, department, and even company as a whole is threatened.
So yes - the net result does indirectly impact your own personal success.
In contrast, if you just produce mediocre results, true, you may not find your job immediately at risk - but you're certainly not making it an invaluable asset to the company either. Not to mention the fact that you are doing little to ensure that your company will be around to fight another day.
Being right and wrong really don't matter all that much. Its the net results that tell the most accurate story we should be basing our action on.
