VER-XIV-0023
“Leadership wants a scapegoat and my team is the easy answer.”
The fork is clear: hand them a name and stay safe, or stand in front of the people who trusted you. Building under power means feeding it whoever it asks for. Building with your people means the truth goes up the chain even when it lands on you. They are watching which one you choose. So is the person you have to be tomorrow.
Your Practice
- Get the facts straight before the room does. Know exactly what happened and who decided what.
- Take the meeting yourself. Put the accountability where it actually belongs — including on you.
- Refuse to name a scapegoat. Offer the real cause and a real fix instead.
- Tell your team, plainly, what you did and why. Trust is built in the moment it costs you.
The Architects
“If it is not right, do not do it. If it is not true, do not say it.”
— Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, 12.17