Giving Credit

We live in a culture where most of us are avid credit users. I have multiple little plastic cards in my wallet, each of which can be used to instantly purchase something that I need, or more often, that I just want. It’s a good idea to reconsider how we function in our credit-obsessed society, because instead of controlling our financial destiny, we end up owing it to everyone else.

We are used to using credit, and we are used to taking credit, too. It’s not uncommon for a leader to accept credit for something great that a subordinate does. It stinks, but it’s the way things work.

Or not.

What if we started to turn the tables, and instead of trying to take the credit for all the good things happening around us, we did everything in our power to give the credit away? What if we did that even when the good deed or good idea was 90% us and 10% someone else? Can you imagine what kind of energy and goodwill you could create by building up other people with the kudos they deserve, and building them up even if they didn’t deserve it so much?

I think that’s real leadership.

But it’s also smart. If you are always taking credit, sooner or later you are going to have to pay someone. Maybe it’s the person you ‘borrowed’ the credit from. Or it might be your overseers who figure out you are not as smart as you present yourself. Worse yet, it may come down to all the people you are supposed to be leading. The more credit you take from others, the more the interest builds up and ultimately the bill comes due—and it always costs much more than you spent to begin with.

On the other hand, if you routinely give credit away, eventually (even if you never demand it) others will feel like they owe you something. I’m not talking about direct payback or some kind of blackmail…what they will pay you with is something better: If you keep freely giving away credit, people will be encouraged to passionately pursue their very best ideas and do their very best work, knowing that someone appreciates it and will recognize them. Maybe I’m wrong, but ultimately I think people want appreciation, recognition, and a feeling of purpose even more than just a paycheck.

As Ronald Reagan (or John Wooden, or Harry Truman, or Abraham Lincoln—depends on who you ask) said, “There is no end to what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.”