"勝利には百人の父がいるが敗北は孤児である"

Success often has many people willing to take credit, while failure is left abandoned and unclaimed. This idea is pretty simple: when something goes well, everyone wants a piece of the glory. But if things go south, suddenly nobody had anything to do with it.

John F. Kennedy famously quoted this saying after the Bay of Pigs invasion failure in 1961. He acknowledged that when things go wrong, people are quick to distance themselves. Context matters here—Kennedy was in the hot seat, facing a botched mission that left the U.S. embarrassed on the global stage. He knew perfectly well how quickly supporters can fade away when the going gets tough.

Picture this: you're part of a team at work that just launched a highly successful product. Everyone, from the CEO to the interns, starts talking about how their contribution was crucial. But when a different team’s project flops, you might notice nobody stepping up to own the missteps. It’s like the project failure is an orphan—nobody wants to claim it.

So, how do you apply this wisdom to your life? For one, don’t be that person who only shows up for the victory lap. Real leadership means standing by your team whether you’re winning awards or dealing with setbacks. Own your mistakes openly—that’s how you build trust and credibility. If you’re managing a project, be transparent about what went wrong and focus on learning from it. Don’t just enjoy the highs; be there for the lows, too.

Let me tell you a story. Imagine your friend Sarah. She’s a project manager at a tech startup. Her team recently launched an app that went viral. Everyone, from marketing to development, came forward to claim their part in the success. Sarah saw this happen and felt proud of her team’s collaborative spirit.

A few months later, another project under her leadership failed spectacularly. The app had bugs, users were unhappy, and the launch had to be rolled back. This time, everyone was quiet. People started pointing fingers, and the atmosphere grew tense. Sarah could’ve easily joined the blame game, but she didn’t. She called a meeting and took responsibility for the oversight. She acknowledged where things went wrong and invited her team to discuss how they could avoid similar issues in the future. Her openness not only salvaged the team's morale but also reinforced their trust in her leadership.

So, next time you're part of a team, whether you're the leader or a member, think about Sarah. Remember that being there for the failures as much as the successes is what truly counts. Embrace the orphaned defeat. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.

In the end, this quote is about integrity. Success is sweet, and everyone wants a taste. But when failure comes knocking, don’t turn it away. Acknowledge it, learn from it, and move forward. That’s how you build real, lasting strength—both in yourself and your team.