The best #CEOs back up their team. Sometimes that means taking the heat for an error, oversight, or generally underdelivering on expectations with customers.
As a young and eager salesperson I once made the mistake of including the name of a strategic partner in some marketing materials without their permission. It was boneheaded move on my part and got them so mad, it earned me a direct call and chewing out from a division president at that company, who NEVER talked to people at my level.
Instead of firing me (thank goodness), my boss took the heat. He apologized for me and stressed the importance of the relationship. We then got on a plane and he apologized again directly for me. (Being the president of a Japanese company, my boss had a special skill for apologies. I think they must give some kind of training for that in Japanese CEO school.)
After that, it all blew over. I kept my job and learned a valuable lesson about confidentiality. And I knew that my boss had my back. Overall, the experience was good for me, but only because my boss had a backbone and was willing to take one for the team even when I was the one who screwed up.
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