A good leader is a person who takes a little more than his share of the blame and a little less than his share of the credit.

The saying frames leadership as an ethical posture rather than a mere position: the leader absorbs disproportionate responsibility when things go wrong and deflects praise toward the team when things go right. “More than his share of the blame” signals accountability, humility, and steadiness under pressure; “less than his share of the credit” emphasizes generosity and the cultivation of others’ confidence and ownership. The underlying claim is pragmatic as well as moral: teams tend to trust and follow leaders who protect them from scapegoating and who recognize contributions fairly, which in turn strengthens cohesion, motivation, and long-term performance.