Like many Americans, I have kept a weather eye on two public figures’ recent fall from grace. Of course I am talking about Michael Phelps and Tom Daschle.

Each had to apologize for having been caught being less than perfect, engaging in behavior they should not have. Most of what I have read about these two has not interested me, but Harvard article by John Baldoni crossed the transom and piqued my interest.

Baldoni examines Phelps’s and Daschle’s apologies and teases out lessons for leaders — anyone in the public eye will eventually have to apologize. How to do it?

Here are the takeaway lessons:

Own up to the issue. Like Phelps and Daschle, admit what you have done wrong. Be explicit and truthful. . . .

Make amends. Words set the stage for doing the work. If you have hurt someone’s feelings, acknowledge their hurt and say you are sorry. . . . Stand up and be accountable. . . .

Get off the stage. Do not turn a simple apology into a Verdi aria. . . . Get back to work and prove that you still have what it takes to make the grade. The sooner you do this, the sooner you will restore your good name. . . . 

Sometimes a little forethought can prevent problems. It has been said that when NHL great Wayne Gretzky was at the peak of his fame he would never step into a hotel elevator with a woman he did not know. He would always ask a teammate to accompany him. . . .

Read the full piece here.