ToApologizeorNottoApologizeWhydifficult？Whenwedowrongtosomeoneweknow，evennot（41）___，wearegenerallyexpectedtoapologizesoastoimprovethesituation．Butwhenwe'reactingasleaders，thecircumstanceare（42）___．T

　　To Apologize or Not to Apologize

　　Why difficult？

　　When we do wrong to someone we know，even not（41）___，we are generally expectedto apologize so as to improve the situation．But when we're acting as leaders，the circumstance are（42）___．The act of apology is carried out not merely at the level of the（43）___but also at the level of the institution．It is a performance in which every word or expression（44）___，as they become part of the public record．Refusing to apologize can be smart，or it can be stupid．So，readiness to apologize can be seen as a sign of strong character or as a sign of weakness．

　　Why now？

　　The question of whether leaders should apologize publicly has never been more（45）___．During the last decade or so，the United States in particular has developed an apology culture--apologies of all kinds and for all sorts of wrongdoings are made far more（46）___than before．More newspaper writers have written about the growing importance of（47）___-apologies．Meanwhile，more and more articles，advice colums，and radio and television programs have similarly dealt with the subject of（48）___apologies．Although they are not carried out in the public places，we can't neglect the importance of this performance．

　　Why（49）___？

　　Why do we apologize？Why do we ever put ourselves in situations likely to be difficult，embarrassing，and even risky？Leaders who apologize publicly could be an easy target for（50）___．They are expected to appear strong and capable．And whether they make public statements of any kind，their individual and institutional reputations are in danger．Clearly，then，leaders should not apologize often．For a leader to express apology，there needs to be a strong（51）___．Leaders will publicly apologize if and when they think the costs of doing so are lower than the costs of not doing so

　　Why refuse？

　　Why is it that leaders so often try every means to（52）___apologies，even when a public apology seems to be in order