This is easy to say with the benefit of hindsight, but I think it once again points out how very important style of leadership, that is the way he does what he does, is to his perception.

Teeter is cautioning that the judgment being offered is retrospective—made “with the benefit of hindsight”—and therefore risks overstating how obvious the lesson was at the time. Even so, he argues the episode underscores a recurring political truth: public “perception” of a leader is shaped not only by outcomes or policies, but by leadership style—tone, process, temperament, and the manner in which decisions are made and communicated. The quote highlights the performative and relational dimension of leadership: credibility and legitimacy often depend on how power is exercised, not merely on what is achieved.