Do you have a halo, or have you got the horn?

So the last of the Camelot Kennedy clan has come to an end with the loss on Tuesday of Teddy.  Wow, despite all of the legislation he has had a hand in what are the chat sites all still banging on about?  Chappaquiddick and the circumstances surrounding the death of Mary Jo Kopechne.  Now as all of the individuals offering opinions and referring to that episode weren’t actually there at the time (I assume they may have offered assistance otherwise) it is quite remarkable that such an event should be a key focus of his legacy.
In public life and politics these high profile incidents linger and are never put to bed and I was thinking this is often the way in management.  Ever been faced with that ‘halo and horn’ dilemma?  You know, when the first time you meet a senior executive is when you have to explain what went wrong.  It might not have been your fault but from that point on you’ve got the horn – you’re tarnished and you may never be able to get that shine back with that particular executive.  On the other hand you get the guy who, although being a waste of good skin for 95% of the time, just happens once to be in the right place and the right time one day to be able to bask in the collective glory and from that time on he is viewed by the executive as ‘Golden Balls’.
All this just reaffirms my view that life is just not fair.
Get over it!  That’s the way it is – put your lip back in and get on with being the best you can be.  Look after your legacy, nurture it and make wise choices.