...So you could be a hero when you miraculously fixed it? That behavior is more common that you think, says the Wall Street Journal—they've dubbed in "Munchausen at work." (Munchausen's syndrome and Munchausen-by-proxy is a creepy psychological disease in which one deliberately makes themselves or someone else sick to get attention.) So: do we all need recognition at work that badly? Apparently we do:

"Mr. Bennett says that he first heard U.S. managers complain about Munchausen-like behavior when he studied team dynamics several years ago. Employees at a Louisiana-based chemical company described a plant manager who concocted layoff rumors, then told his workers a few weeks later that he had saved their jobs. Maria Copeland, an information-technology manager at media company Cox Enterprises Inc., tells a similar tale. She says a male colleague tried to turn her against a female co-worker a few years ago. The man told each woman that the other was working to undermine her, then called a meeting with their boss to improve their collaboration, according to Ms. Copeland. The women realized what was going on when they compared notes before that meeting. The collaboration problems disappeared after the man left the group, she says."

Lesson: we are all perpetually three-year-olds who need attention and positive reinforcement, especially if we're not getting it at home. Bosses: a hearty pat on the back and a "Good job, tiger!" every once in a while can't hurt. Everybody needs to be a hero once in a while.