Value

Second, volatility: Some say companies are better valued when they deliver steady, predictable earnings growth. That, too, is an assumption that doesn't emerge from the cornerstones. The truth is that the most sophisticated investors—the ones who should matter most to executives—expect some earnings volatility, if only as recognition of changing economic dynamics beyond any one company's control. Related is a belief that earnings per share guidance, and the significant executive time consumed by managing guidance, is valued by investors even though empirical evidence clearly shows otherwise.

First, leverage: As the market heated up in 2007 and 2008, many savvy financial services executives thought leverage could be used to create (as opposed to merely redistribute) value. That misconception clashes with the cornerstones. Leverage is a quick way to manufacture accounting profits, but it doesn't add real value to the company or the economy, because it merely rearranges claims on cash flow and increases risk.