Taking credit, giving credit

I am a big fan of memorable speeches. I love reading JFK’s inaugural address wherein he challenged the American people to “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” 

I get a kick out of reading Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, which starts with the iconic opening line, “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Classic, man. 

And who can forget the memorable Clinton declaration: “I did not have sex with that woman.” I’m sure that one is etched in everyone’s mind. You don’t need that to be carved in marble. 

For years, I’ve always wondered how the US President’s speech would turn out the moment Osama Bin Laden was captured or killed. Right after Osama Bin Laden owned up to the 9/11 massacre, I was expecting President Bush to be the one to eventually do the speech. I didn’t realize it would take 10 years before they caught or killed him. When reports of his demise started to come in, I was curious as to how much President Obama would take credit for the whole thing, and how much credit he would give President Bush. We all know how Democrats hate Republicans — and vice versa.   And while this happened during Obama’s presidency, it is undeniable that it was Bush who declared war against Al-Qaeda. And it was Bush who ordered the hunt for the reviled Bearded One.

When the transcript of the speech came out, I have to say, I was quite impressed. Obama masterfully took credit, without making it feel that way. Here are interesting excerpts:

“Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

“Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort. We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defence. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and Al-Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of Al-Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot. 

“And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against Al-Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network. 

“Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice. Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

“As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not — and never will be — at war with Islam. I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims.  

“The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded.   

“Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who’ve worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice. We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.

“Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.”

It’s a very well-crafted speech. While Obama took credit for the whole operation by mentioning that he is commander-in-chief and that he gave the order that led to Osama’s killing — he worded his speech in such a way that he did not sound too full of himself. He kept on giving credit to the men and women of the military and counter-terrorism professionals. He mentioned the CIA’s Leon Panetta. He credited the US’s friends and allies. He repeatedly said it was the American people who made this possible — and who paid the biggest sacrifice. And he was diplomatic enough to mention President Bush. Say what you want about Obama. Not everyone likes him. But I personally think he nailed the speech.

I felt there was a lot to learn from that speech, particularly for corporate executives like myself who sometimes find the urge to take full credit for the success of their companies too irresistible.   A lot of executives feel the need to blow their own trumpet and unabashedly announce to the whole world their accomplishments. To be candid, I sometimes feel that urge — if only to make sure my bosses, and my subordinates, know my value to the company. 

But there’s a danger in doing that. Sometimes, if you don’t watch your “announcement,” you might just go overboard. Thus, instead of inspiring people — you leave a bad taste in their mouths. There’s nothing more irritating in this world than a braggart. Instead of winning the respect of your superiors, you end up getting their disdain. Why? They feel threatened. It’s human nature.

Personal PR to promote yourself and your accomplishments is not wrong in itself. But there’s a way to do it so that you get the message across, while at the same time not crossing people. One way of doing that is acknowledging other people whose help may have been indispensible. Another tip could be to acknowledge your critics and those who try to put you down. Because, by doing so, you achieve three things: 1) You may win your critics over and thus turn them into allies; 2) You lessen the friction in the workplace; and 3) You demonstrate your maturity and level-headedness.

Hope you learned something from this piece. I personally think it’s a masterpiece — and I take full credit for it.

Oops!

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Thanks for your letters, folks! You may e-mail me at rodhnepo@yahoo.com