It is possible to make both work, it just depends on what you want to hear. If your talking about accenting notes, and you want to accent a note other than the first. You may need to just move the run forward or back so that the note you want to be accented occurs ryhthmically where the pulse occurs in the music (T.S.). So instead of the first note occuring on 1 (T.S.), the second note does and the first note then acts as a leading tone (rythmically). Not getting one to work may just be a problem with your phrasing.

If your just starting out it would be better to start by playing the notes you want accented on the accented beats first. Then as you because accustomed to the pulse and how to phrase things together. Then you'll be better prepared for setting the accented notes in syncopation with the pulse. Like Az said it takes alittle practice.