From Donna’s Desk
There’s a special kind of leadership move that isn’t leadership at all.
It’s when someone creates a problem, refuses to admit they created it, and then tries to solve it by making the problem look like a gift.
That is not accountability. That is rebranding.
In corporate life, we talk a lot about “owning outcomes.” What we often mean is owning the credit and outsourcing the consequences. And when the consequences start getting loud, inconvenient, or vaguely haunted, a certain type of person doesn’t ask, “How did I get here?”
They ask, “Who can I hand this to without it looking like I’m panicking?”
That’s where “parity” comes in. Parity is supposed to mean fairness between departments. In practice, it can become a very polite way to say: “Please take this off my hands, and thank me for it.”
Because sometimes parity is making sure everyone has what they need.
And sometimes parity is a strategic donation of your own mistake.
And here’s the thing about saving face. It’s expensive. Not in money, usually. In trust. In time. In the quiet morale of the people who can clearly see what’s happening but are expected to nod along as it’s explained.
The most frustrating part is that this maneuver works just often enough to become a habit.
Someone pulls a lever. The lever unleashes chaos.
Instead of letting go of the lever, they create a spreadsheet about the lever.
Then they schedule a meeting about leverage best practices.
Then they “expand the program” to another department.
Then they call it success.
And the new department gets to discover, in real time, why the original owner is suddenly so generous.
You can move an asset.
You can move a policy.
You can move a problem.
You cannot move the truth.
Eventually, it shows up. Usually with documentation.
Have you been a witness to this? Share your story.
I'll be here, admiring my clean desktop.
Donna
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