Give the Credit Away

It may feel natural to make sure people know when you played a big role in a successful project. But research suggests strong leaders often do the opposite: they give the credit to others.

Behavioral researcher Joseph Folkman studied about 3,800 leaders who were rated by the people around them. Leaders who tended to take credit for team accomplishments ranked near the bottom in overall effectiveness, around the 13th percentile.

Those who regularly gave credit to others ranked much higher, around the 85th percentile.

In other words, sharing recognition did not make them look less important. It made them look like better leaders.

The same idea works even if you are not in charge.

Recognizing the person whose idea improved a project, the coworker who caught a mistake, or the teammate who stayed late to finish something can build trust quickly.

The key is to be specific.

“Great job, everyone” is nice, but easy to forget.

“This worked because Dana rebuilt the spreadsheet over the weekend” tells people exactly who made a difference and why.

That kind of recognition matters.

A 2026 study in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology found that people can hold strong resentment when someone else takes credit for their ideas. But that resentment dropped when a coworker or leader publicly acknowledged the true source.

Giving credit away costs little, but it can strengthen relationships, trust, and morale.

It also sends a message that success is not about one person looking good.

The best leaders often look strongest when they make sure everyone else gets seen.