At Easter 1916 a group of revolutionaries failed to overthrow British rule in Ireland. After a gun-battle several were killed but more were taken prisoner. These men were sentenced to death and executed by firing squad.
Many historians believe that this execution was a political mistake. They say it made martyrs of them, whereas in jail they would have been regarded as failures. This event poisoned Anglo-Irish relations for generations, making an amicable resolution to the Irish Question (or the British question from another point of view) almost impossible.
This is an example of turning a misfortune into a catastrophe. It is one of the lessons I did not include in my book “Be Victorious! – Lessons from World War I for business and everyday life”.
Go to: https://www.createspace.com/4875614 Or http://www.amazon.co.uk/Be-Victorious-Lessons-Business-Everyday/dp/1500327905/
When things go wrong in your business, do you have plans in place for damage limitation or do you pour petrol on the flames? Perhaps you need to conduct a Risk Management survey.