In the last week or so we've seen two public figures make mistakes and
try to recover from them, with very different outcomes.
The first blunder belongs to President Obama. His nomination of Timothy Geithner for Treasury Secretary caused outrage from Americans shocked to find that someone described as one of the most brilliant financial minds on the planet wasn't smart enough to know he owed back taxes. Or maybe that he was so sly that he knew, but just didn't feel like it.
Then news broke that Obama's pick for Secretary of Health & Human Services, former Senator Tom Daschle, had an even bigger tax problem that he only took care of after Obama tapped him for the job. Daschle withdrew from the confirmation process, despite Obama's pledge to stick by him, probably due to behind-the-scenes White House pressure. Obama immediately got in front of the cameras to admit "I screwed up." Say what? By quickly taking responsibility, he enhanced his standing. Way to go.
Compare that to Michael Phelps. After getting caught with a bong in his mouth, he issued a formal apology that acknowledged the mistake. But instead of telling his fans via live interview that he'd use this experience to motivate him to work even harder, he got petulant and suggested the incident made him wonder if he would even compete in the next Olympics. Compared to Obama's reaction, this one smacks of an entitlement attitude all too common in celebrities. Whatever happened to humility?
What's the lesson? People make mistakes, and our capacity for forgiveness is pretty impressive if we think learning occurred and the apology was sincere. You're not going to make a bad situation go away simply by denying its impact. Admit it, be honest about it, and move on quickly to the things you're admired for, and don't give us any reasons to be happy you got caught.
