We worship winners – especially those who demonstrate leadership, confront a crisis and prevail. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as the hero did not create the crisis in the first place.
But what about those who keep crises from erupting at all?
Who are the UNSUNG heroes working for you (and helping you avoid the ditch)?
Who are the wise that simply do the right thing, rather than the bold thing?
Are you only recognizing the “heroes” in your company, and ignoring those who help you avoid the storms altogether?
In 1962, when I was a young officer in the Marine Corps and on alert due to the Cuban Missile Crisis, there was another young officer aboard a Soviet submarine who, it turned out, made a prudent decision to get more information before passing on communications that could have and probably would have resulted in a missile launch. The action he took came out 50 years later with the Freedom of Information Act. Prudent matters.