One of the inevitable parts of being a leader is taking the responsibility for what your team members do. They won't always produce the best results – none of us do. Sometimes there will be serious mistakes. When those happen, and are being explained to or reviewed by the board, probably the least successful tactic a CEO can employ is to focus the blame on the executive or team member who has made the mistake. I've watched it happen often in board rooms. Mostly it looks obvious and undignified. The same result occurs when one executive tries to pin an unfortunate consequence on another executive, in front of the board.
When mistakes happen, usually the most effective way to deal with them is just to take the position with the board that "it happened on my watch, and I take responsibility for that". To the extent that the circumstances allow, the board will see where actual blame lies. The CEO will appear much more statesmanlike by not pointing the finger at someone else.
That's not to say that the mistake or poor performance should not be dealt with appropriately or on its own merits. Just don't do it in front of the board.
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