Monday Morning Musings
Volume XXIV, Number 14 (Issue 1165) April 6, 2026
Shifting the Perspective
…while victory has a thousand fathers.” I would propose a leadership-oriented update to that maxim: “defeat has only one parent while victory has a thousand.”
I have come to see at least two valuable truths within the original and my twist on that expression. The first, traditional interpretation is that when things go horribly wrong, it is virtually impossible to find someone willing to take ownership. In the case of those of questionable character expect them to look for someone else to blame when things go awry. As for when victory is at hand, lots of people are happy, dare I say eager, to take some if not full credit for the outcome.
Following extended reflection on that “truth,” another possible – and I think better – version has come to mind: Faced with defeat, good leaders own the outcome every time. They are quick to take ownership and under no circumstances should you expect them to attempt to shift the blame. Furthermore, when things do come together as or better than planned, the best, most admired leaders readily evidence a level of humility and support of others that demands they give maximum credit to their team for the victory.
I am reminded of a story from years ago about a professor at a prestigious university who was routinely in trouble with the school’s administration and his fellow faculty members. The problem, it seemed, was that he believed his job was to help his students succeed. To that end, at the beginning of every semester he would give his students detailed insight into the things he felt were vital for them to learn in his classes. To that end, in the first class he would disclose in detail the topics that would be covered in the semester’s final. His logic was that by sharing this information with the students there was a good possibility every one of them would be well prepared to ace the
exam. The administration and his colleagues thought this level of helpful disclosure to be beyond the pale.
During my collegiate career I quickly realized that the majority of professors had a strong tendency to lecture on the topics they considered to be of greatest importance. Thus, I did my best to never cut a class – even those early morning lectures that did not align well with my internal clock. Based on this revelation, I usually spent little time reading the assigned textbooks (unless authored by the professor or in some way focused on subject matter that I found interesting). Because of this I was able to spend minimal time studying for exams apart from reviewing my class notes. The result was I succeeded in graduating with honors while numerous peers spent hours on end cramming for finals with varied degrees of success.
My point is if you believe one of your keys jobs is to help others succeed, do all you can to give them the information they need to do their best. The corollary to that is effective leaders shoulder the blame when things go wrong while they are quick to ensure others are given the credit when things go well.
Soli Deo Gloria
“In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35
J. Keith Hughey
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E-mail: keith@jkeithhughey.com
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