The Blame Game

Leaders take the blame and share the credit; losers do the opposite.

The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, 1511 (public domain - Wikipedia)

“A gentleman accepts the responsibility of his actions and bears the burden of their consequences, even when he did not himself instigate them but only acquiesced to them, didn't say No even though he knew he should.” — William Faulkner, 1962

Let’s be real for a minute.

When something goes wrong, it feels good to hold someone accountable, doesn’t it?

Leaders Need to Be Accountable

To look at a problem, find a scapegoat, and fully lay the blame on them. There’s a certain amount of schadenfreude or moral superiority in that scenario.

It’s one of the reasons superheroes are perpetually popular: they are the ultimate arbiters of justice because they have powers we don’t.

They can discern truth and they can track down the criminals who rain chaos down on the city. Through transference, we can imagine ourselves in their capes.

It’s justice personified.

Or, as Edgar W. Smith wrote of Sherlock Holmes, that original caped crusader:

“We see him as the fine e…