Why Managers Should Share Credit With Their Team

From the chief executive officer to the manager of a discrete project, managers within an organization often get credit for their employees’ work. There is nothing inherently wrong with this. Managers play an integral role in any business, as they are the visionaries, motivators, and leaders within the organization. They are often the ones making the tough decisions that lead to business glory or business defeat.

They can be the hero or the goat.

But nonetheless, there is a case to be made that managers should share the credit for their achievements. And we’re not talking about sharing the credit with other managers and leaders within the organization. Instead, there is a strong case to be made that managers should share the credit with members of their team.

It seems quite obvious on the surface. Yes, managers obviously can’t accomplish anything without the hard work and dedication of their team members. But ultimately, sharing credit with your team can provide a vast number of benefits to the manager’s team and the organization itself.

While this not an exclusive list, here are three reasons why managers should share credit with their teams.

The Benefits of Sharing Credit With Teams

First, managers who share credit for their achievements make their employees feel special. We are all busy. Our job can be a day-to-day grind. Because of this, it is all too easy to forget to thank our employees and show genuine, heartfelt gratitude for what they do. While you may believe that employees do not need verbal thanks (they are being paid a salary after all), studies show that employee recognition matters. By sharing your successes and achievements with your employees, they feel treasured and respected for their work. This makes your employees even more motivated, which leads to continued high performance. In other words, by sharing credit, you increase the odds that you and your team will accomplish more and receive even more credit in the future.

Along with making your employees feel special, sharing credit with your team helps keep you humble. Humility is a key component to continued success. Without it, leaders rest on their laurels. It becomes easy to ignore the hard work that was necessary to find success in the first place. After all, you are receiving extensive praise for your work and for your accomplishments. Why wouldn’t that continue into the future?

This is a dangerous situation. By ignoring this hard work and arrogantly assuming that “everything will work out,” you jeopardize future success. You are more prone to make mistakes and you let your arrogance blind you to challenges around the corner. By contrast, by sharing credit with your team, there is less of a chance of developing this blinding arrogance. You recognize that yes, you played an integral part in achieving credit, but that you couldn’t have done it alone. This humility can serve you in the weeks, months, and years ahead.

Finally, sharing credit with your team presents a good model for your colleagues. While you may easily share credit with employees, some of your colleagues—perhaps some of your managers or supervisors—may be more hesitant to do so. By sharing your accomplishments with your team members, you provide a good example to your supervisors.

In effect, you make it easier for colleagues to follow your lead. By creating a culture that shares credit and appreciation for each employee’s contribution, your company increases morale and inspires employees to work even harder. It simply becomes a fun and inspiring place to work. And even better, by creating this culture, further recognition, credit, and awards will naturally follow. It is a pinwheel that is self-reinforcing.

Be Generous

As humans, we are drawn to praise and recognition by others—especially after a major work achievement. We can get addicted to this praise. It can be intoxicating.

While there is nothing wrong with appreciating praise for a job well done, you will be much better off by sharing the credit with your employees. It’ll not only feel great to see the effect on your employees, but you’ll be in a better position to receive even more praise for your future accomplishments.