About this quote

Praise raises the stakes around a person and makes every mistake heavier. When someone becomes a public 'hero', expectations and scrutiny stack up fast. That pressure can turn success into a source of failure, because the systems around fame often leave people exposed. If you rely on or crown a single person, ask who supports them when things go wrong.

When to use it

• At a project post-mortem after a product flop, my lead sighed and said, "Show me a hero, and I'll write you a tragedy," meaning we had funneled all the risk to one person.
• When my sister who curated a picture-perfect family online broke down, I thought of the line and sat with her instead of applauding her next post.
• After the star player rushed back and worsened his injury, the coach muttered the quote while we talked about how praise pushed him too far.
• At a startup board meeting, an investor used the line to warn us about putting the founder on a pedestal and ignoring the missing processes.