You should be more assertive. Have leadership qualities. That’s the only way to succeed.
Those are rules thrown at you early in life. There’s no book, no law that determines success will come only if you grab it, but that’s what you have been told, so it has become your doctrine.
But wait! No one told you that you must grab all the credit, and occasionally, from someone else, did they?
Yet somehow that has become a habit for some, a way of life, a desperation to be seen and validated at all times. They go by the rule: If you cannot be efficient all the time, appear to be efficient.
It’s a masquerade party for some, always in masks, perpetually pretending to be someone they are not. But as long as you exude confidence, you get away with it.
Those who do the actual work, the people behind the scenes, the ones who tirelessly work on goals, don’t lose their confidence, but energy. Assertiveness requires sleep. They are exhausted from working all the time, filling in the gaps of that one person who is all talk and no show.
Those college group projects that we thought might be a sparse experience in adulthood come back to haunt you. There is always that one person who doesn’t attend meetings or do the designated work. Yet, when it comes time to present, they are in their best formal wear, well-slept and cheery, delivering the best presentation of their lives. The ones who did the actual work are right at the back, hidden in shadows, bleary-eyed, incoherent because all those words were used on the project.
No surprise here, the freshly-showered speaker gets all the accolades. The others wonder if perhaps they were behind the entire project because it sure seems like it based on their confidence.
It’s not the first example you will come across of someone taking all the credit. There are several narcissistic people out there, hungry for attention, not wanting to do the work, but devising plots to walk away with credit nevertheless.
Credit-hogging has its own consequences, though. It’s fifteen minutes of fame and then the burden of delivering efficiency every single time.
If they actually earned the credit, then the only thing that they must deal with is the constant pressure of performing well and added responsibilities.
But if they were slacking off and poaching the credit, then things would become a lot more challenging. They know they can’t perform. Anxiety hits. The people who actually did the work…will they help again or try to sabotage you after the betrayal? The work…why is there so much of it? What does this even mean?
Why is everyone looking at you as if you have all the answers?
The stress and panic will get them first if not the truth.
So, what is the point of taking all the credit?
For those few minutes of fame when everyone thinks you are worth something. That ego boost. The cheers. People who thought you would amount to nothing stand with mouths agape.
You get reputation points, and that lasts for a few minutes because those who helped and didn’t get recognition are giving you the side eye.
However, if you happen to share the credit, things get slightly easier for you.
The audience thinks you’re a team player. Your teammates are humbled by your humility. You get known as someone with leadership qualities.
The fifteen minutes go much longer.
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