Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
ColumnsManagementPhysicalLeadership & ManagementSecurity Enterprise ServicesSecurity Leadership and ManagementSecurity & Business Resilience

Leadership & Management

Epic leadership failures of history (and security)!

Failure is constructive as long as you learn from it and plan a better approach the next time.

By Michael Gips
man sitting

pinstock / E+ via Getty Images

leader ship and management
man sitting
leader ship and management
June 8, 2022

George Washington, the father of the United States, was a fraud. Not really, but over the centuries we have whitewashed the shortcomings of perhaps America’s greatest president, general and citizen. He surrendered at Fort Necessity during the French and Indian War. He succumbed in a string of battles early in the Revolutionary War, including losing New York to the British. He struggled with public oratory. He was known as a poor tactician. But he obviously learned from his mistakes and became the exemplar we know today.

All of the greatest leaders in history have had forgettable or disgraceful episodes. Many of them are documented in hilarious and erudite fashion in the long-running web series “Epic Rap Battles in History,” where the likes of Shaka Zulu, Julius Caesar, Abraham Lincoln and Che Guevara square off to humiliate each other using inventive freestyle verse.

Here’s an excerpt from an episode with Mansa Musa and Jeff Bezos going at it:

Mansa: I expanded horizons with libraries and mosques/While you chopped the top off of all the mom and pop shops/All you widened was the gap between the haves and have-nots/Now they ordering a living in your cardboard box!

Jeff: You’re overrated like you leave economies inflated/You’re about to taste some of that salt that you traded/…/Three years to trek to Mecca? Man, you must be trippin’/One click, I’ll get you there overnight with free shippin’!

And here’s another excerpt from Richard the Lionheart vs. Ragnar Lodbrok:

Richard: Your own story ended worse than Game of Thrones/Your son killed your ex, your ex killed your wife/I’m the Lion King, man, but that’s a messed up circle of life.

Ragnar: You went from chainmail to chained up in jail/’Til Mommy drained England to pay for your bail!

The lesson is that even the world’s most revered leaders made mistakes — even monumental ones — and so will you. Some people say you have to fail to succeed. While I’m not sure I agree with that stance, failure is constructive as long as you learn lessons from it and iterate a better approach the next time.

In that spirit, at GSX this year in September, I will be moderating a panel called “Learning Through Failure,” a light-hearted session in which Jeff Slotnick and a diverse group of prominent professionals will share their experiences in failure so that attendees can dodge common pitfalls, understand reasons for failure, learn about predictable failure, and understand root-cause analysis and the critical lessons that failure can teach us.

Don’t be intimidated by some of the terms you might hear — deviance, process inadequacy, hypothesis testing or exploratory testing. We will let our guard down and speak candidly and self-effacingly, and we invite you to join in on the dialog.

And as much fun as it would be to see corporate chief security officers (CSOs) take the mic and spit flows, I promise I will not ask you to rap.

KEYWORDS: enterprise security risk management security leadership security management

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Michael gips headshot
Michael Gips is a Principal at Global Insights in Professional Security, LLC. He was previously an executive at ASIS International. Columnist image courtesy of Gips

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Cyber Tactics Column
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Logical Security
    By: Charles Denyer
Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Sureview screen
    Sponsored bySureView Systems

    The Evolution of Automation in the Command Center

  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

Popular Stories

Rendered computer with keyboard

16B Login Credentials Exposed in World’s Largest Data Breach

Verizon on phone screen

61M Records Listed for Sale Online, Allegedly Belong to Verizon

Security camera

40,000 IoT Security Cameras Are Exposed Online

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Red spiderweb

From Retail to Insurance, Scattered Spider Changes Targets

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

July 17, 2025

Tech in the Jungle: Leveraging Surveillance, Access Control, and Technology in Unique Environments

What do zebras, school groups and high-tech surveillance have in common? They're all part of a day’s work for the security team at the Toledo Zoo.

August 7, 2025

Threats to the Energy Sector: Implications for Corporate and National Security

The energy sector has found itself in the crosshairs of virtually every bad actor on the global stage.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • 2.PreparingSmartBuildings_Image

    Preparing for the smart buildings of today: A history of change and technology leadership

    See More
  • Podcast setup

    Your favorite security leadership podcasts

    See More
  • Leadership Style

    Adjusting your leadership style at a new employer

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9780367259044.jpg

    Understanding Homeland Security: Foundations of Security Policy

  • Security of Information and Communication Networks

  • security culture.webp

    Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products
×

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing