We still don't know exactly what happened at Boston College.

We still don't know exactly what happened at Boston College.

And that's important.

But there are a few leadership lessons worth paying attention to.

First, the person who tells the story first usually shapes the narrative.

If it's true that the broadcasters were told this was the head coach's decision, it was only a matter of time before that became the headline. Every decision should be made with the assumption that it could become public.

A former boss used to tell me, "Cover the downside. Let the upside take care of itself." I've carried that lesson throughout my career.

Second, if you're the organization, you almost always take the high road.

From the outside, a generic statement can feel frustrating. You want the full story.

From the inside, you know there are details you could share, but there's almost no upside to publicly debating a former employee. Protecting the organization is more important than winning the argument.

Finally, if the reports are accurate, I understand the coach's position.

A first-year head coach gets one opportunity to build the program his way. Culture matters. Surrounding yourself with people you trust matters. Sometimes unpopular decisions are the right ones.

I've made decisions during my career that were heavily criticized in the moment. Years later, many of those same decisions proved to be the right ones because I had information others simply didn't have. I've also made decisions I'd take back.

That's leadership.

The lesson isn't whether this decision was right or wrong. We don't know enough to say that.

The lesson is that every leadership decision has operational consequences and public relations consequences. Great leaders prepare for both.

As Al Davis famously said... Just win, baby.

Because if you do, many of today's controversial decisions will eventually be viewed through a very different lens.