Whilst many people try and defend the indefensible, some people are above it all and have true integrity and depth of character. Those are the true leaders and heroes even when things may have gone wrong.
The best example I have seen appeared in an edition of “IT Consultant” in July 2002:
On Sunday, Commander Farrington's ship hit Wolf Rock near Lord Howe Island, north of Australia. The Royal Navy are investigating how a guided missile destroyer with top-notch navigation equipment came a cropper in well-charted waters on the world's largest rock. What sets our man apart, though, is not the sheer scale of the mess, but his good grace after the event.
Although he could have used the fact that he wasn't on the bridge at the time of the collision, or cited any number of possible technical faults, Commander Farrington took his impending court martial 'like a man'. He is quoted as saying: “It is inevitable. The sun comes up in the morning, you run your ship aground, you get court-martialled”.
Commander Farrington lost his command and was transferred to Budget planning at Naval Personnel Headquarters. After sentencing he said “This incident reminds us all that the sea is an unforgiving master."
Where many people in business and politics have talked about “taking responsibility” during the financial crash and recession of 2008/2009, here was a man who truly knew what it meant.