Never been a fan of getting credit and recognition — it makes me uncomfortable for a simple reason that I ain’t no one-person island. Every little or big achievement I’ve had wouldn’t have been possible without those unsung heroes, be it my parents, classmates, peers, acquaintances, superiors, and even those with evil intentions.
Most people think credit and recognition are directly tied to their career growth. It isn’t. What matters the most is how much we learn under our superiors who’re leading the way.
Sure, some may suck or won’t have the leadership skills that inspire action. That’s okay because you can always find another opportunity under someone else who’s successful and has tons of knowledge and wisdom you can learn from.
Your job is to be deliberate about making your superiors (or theirs) look good by doing the grunt work while absorbing as much knowledge and wisdom you can during the process. And, yes, I know it doesn’t sound sexy or satiates your need for instant gratification. But you’ve got to think of this as a small tradeoff you make for the short-term that will pay-off in the long-term. It’s an investment. What you sow right now will reap, eventually.
I recently read about Bill Belichick, the four-time Super Bowl-winning head coach of the New England Patriots. He worked his way up the ranks of his team and eventually, the NFL, by rolling up his sleeves and go through the grind while ensuring that his superiors look good. Without any credit or recognition. Bill didn’t care about any of it because what he was soaking up far outweighed the praise or glory he would’ve gained. And he knew his investment would pay-off, eventually, and boy, pay-off it did.
Sure, this might not be for everyone. But then, not everyone makes it to the top either. And the ones who do get thereby not giving a damn about credit or recognition. If you’re tempted to cite exceptions, I will invite you to think how exceptionally short their tenure was.
It’s overrated.