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Giving Away the Glory

By Mike DiFrisco posted 06-26-2014 10:36 AM

  

As human beings, one of our major struggles is giving away the credit for something we’ve done. It just goes against our nature. The human species craves recognition — a pat on the back — so it’s natural that when we accomplish or create something, or think of a new idea, we want others to know...IT WAS ME!

But as an association leader—as part of a team—it’s critical that you don’t allow your ego to get in the way of productivity and results.

The Frog and the Geese
There’s a fable about a frog that once asked two geese to take him south with them. At first they resisted because they didn’t know how it could be done. Finally, the frog suggested that the two geese carry a stick between their bills and he would hold onto the stick with his mouth.

So off the unlikely trio went, flying south over the countryside. It was really quite a sight. People looked up and expressed great admiration at this demonstration of creative teamwork.

Someone said, “It’s wonderful! Who was so clever to discover such a fine way to travel?”

Whereupon the frog opened his mouth and said, “It was I-i-i-i-i-i...” as he plummeted to the earth.

Teamwork vs. Ego
In situations where you have the opportunity to either accept recognition or give it away, you always need to ask yourself, “What will I gain by hogging the glory?”

The frog’s goal was presumably to travel south without expending much energy. By developing the idea to use teamwork in association with the geese, the frog was in the process of successfully accomplishing that goal. But by changing his objective from “traveling south” to “being a clever frog,” he lost sight of his goal — with disastrous implications.

As part of a team (whether it’s a team of 100 or a team of 2), keep sight of your objectives and don’t allow your ego to rule the day. Association leaders vicariously receive credit for a job well done and an objective accomplished — whether you personally receive the credit for it or not.

Give Away Glory
When you give away the glory to your team members, volunteer leaders, or staff, something magical happens. They become more motivated. And a motivated team can pay big dividends. As your team becomes more energized, they will be better equipped to meet their goals — and that makes you look good.

Also, your leadership position will be enhanced as you give credit to the team instead of hogging the glory for yourself. Your team, staff, boards, and committees will begin to see you as the kind of person to spread the glory around instead of taking it all for yourself.

This double benefit is one of life’s little mysteries. Because the truth is, the more we give glory away, the more is actually showered upon us. As King Solomon said in the book of Proverbs, “Before a downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.”

Accept Blame
Just as giving away glory makes good management and human relations sense, so does accepting blame. Nothing puts you in a position of weakness more than to point the finger at someone who works for you or is part of your team. If you had something to do with an error, omission, or problem, be a stand-up kind of person and admit your mistake.

Once again, this has dual benefits. First, your team or employees will appreciate your forthright honesty and your ability to “take the heat.” Secondly, you’ll help minimize the sting of failure, which will, in turn, make your team better able to focus on results and objectives instead of wallowing in self-pity.

This doesn’t mean that you should take the blame for another’s mistake. All team members — whether employees or partners — should accept personal responsibility. But, in many cases, if an employee makes a mistake, it can be traced back to poor instruction or guidance by you — the manager or leader. Just rectify the problem and move on.

So don’t be like our frog. Keep your mouth closed when it comes time to accept accolades and glory. You’ll be surprised at how far it will take you.

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07-11-2014 09:30 AM

Hi Michael, thanks for sharing this great blog post! I find that these truths apply at work, in volunteer groups like my local Lions club, church, etc and at home with my family. Sharing the glory definitely makes the team, any "team" stronger. Cheers!