Reluctance to Claim Credit

Reluctance to Claim Credit - *Marshall Goldsmith & Sally Helgesen say this is the Number 1 challenge holding women back.

Our thoughts:

It’s so easy to say ‘take credit for achievements’ - The question is ‘How?’

And are we not claiming credit already??

We think some of the problem rests with language.

Are we, women especially, socialised to use ‘we’ over’ ‘I’ ?

We often hear ‘There’s no ‘I’ in TEAM’.  This is a twee expression that sounds wise but it’s way off the mark – there are as many ‘I’s in a team as there are team members!

In a previous life I used to help leaders prepare for interview. In mock interviews, people constantly used the word ‘we’. I would bring their awareness to this – how would the interview panel know what their specific contribution was if they kept using ‘we’?

My suggestion was that they double-barrel their sentences – ‘I initiated and we …’ or ‘We decided and I…’

So, let’s be clearer in our language when we’re describing our contributions and when we’re giving or claiming credit.

And calling on us as leaders too: Listen carefully, be curious and probe further – there’s plenty credit to go round, much hidden talent in your organisations - and achievements very rarely rest solely with one individual.

To quote from Kamala Harris during her presidential campaign: ‘.. the real and true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up. That’s what strength looks like’.

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*Marshall Goldsmith & Sally Helgesen's book, 'How Women Rise: Breaking the 12 Habits Holding You Back' is worth reading over and over.

We're sharing a series of reflections on their 12 Habits based on our own experience; hope we spark some ideas for you!