In 2016, Wells Fargo fired more than 5,000 employees who learned the hard way that carrots don’t work—at least not in the long run. Decision-makers tied a substantial piece of these employees’ compensation to steep sales targets and made reaching them a condition of continued employment. They saw movement, if not true motivation. Even when launched with the best of intentions—which the leaders at Wells Fargo did not display—evidence shows that carrots-as-motivators ultimately fail. Incentives designed to spur workers to do their best can push them to engage in unethical behavior—to do their worst.