3 Duties After Defeat

It was a costly mistake in a pivotal moment that sealed a win for the archrival.

With under a minute remaining in No. 1 Purdue’s basketball game at Indiana on Saturday, guard Braden Smith threw the ball away with his team trailing by three points, all but ending the Boilermakers’ hopes of a comeback.

But when Smith was asked by reporters what he saw on the possession leading to the turnover, Purdue star Zach Edey interjected.

“Just to clarify, that was one play in obviously a big moment, but every play is big in a game like this,” Edey said, Smith sitting just a couple of feet to his left.

“I had too many turnovers in the first half. I didn’t come out with the energy I needed. Obviously, it’s a big play and people might look at that, but you can point out three or four plays by everyone. So, it’s not just on him. It’s on the entire team.”

In a powerful display of selflessness and accountability from Edey, who finished with 33 points and 18 rebounds in the game, and it has some key lessons for us.

In an era in which many seem to want to deflect — blaming referees, bosses or external circumstances for not getting the job done — arguably the best player in college basketball this year took the hit for what went wrong, while reminding us of our three primary obligations after defeat:

1. Take full ownership. It would seem Edey was hardly to blame for the loss with his impressive stats, but by being accountable for what went wrong and outlining what even he could’ve done better, Edey brought his team together, while shifting its mentality to what lies ahead.

2. Shield those around us. As leaders, we need to protect our team members from the criticism and finger pointing that often accompany disappointment. It's important to remember no one likely feels worse than the person who made the gaffe, and it’s our obligation to protect him/her as well as those around.

3. Unite our group. Bad teams point fingers amid turmoil and come undone. Great ones share in the disappointment and become even closer through it. By communicating that message with his teammates by his side, Edey conveyed that no matter the adversity moving forward, Purdue will have each others’ backs.

Ultimately, we need to remember that our duty as leaders has to be far bigger than just ourselves.

This requires having a level of humility and self-confidence to own defeat and live with its consequences.

And while Edey will likely win a bunch of accolades this season, inside his own locker room, he’ll be known as the teammate who put others before himself.

That’s a leadership legacy that will live on for years.