Those with a successful career track likely know this sentiment already. So, the advice captured in the title of this chapter is probably more relevant for the younger, less-experienced worker. There are four aspects of behavior captured in this advice. I’ve seen them all at play, at various times, in one way or another. Sometimes, it is out there for all to see. Other times, it is there in more subtle ways. They do play an important role in one’s career and are definitely worth a discussion. I’ll address each individually and try to provide a unique perspective, which you might not have been aware of before.
Showing How “Smart” We Are
We all would like others to view us in a positive way, with our brainpower as a key positive attribute. There is nothing wrong with that. The question is: What is it that we can do to help influence how others view us in that regard?
Here, people tend to utilize two approaches. One approach is to be sure to show others just how smart and intelligent they are. The other is to have others notice it. It may sound merely like a semantic nuance, but it is not.
To “show” implies a proactive approach by you, where you are putting your smarts on display to make sure that others will indeed see how smart you are. The other, to “notice,” implies a passive approach. You are not trying to actively show how smart you are, but rather hoping others will notice it. There is a world of difference in how people perceive and react to the two different approaches. One is viewed negatively, the other positively. One is an ineffective approach, the other much more effective.
My observation learned over many years, and I hope that you will always remember it, is that people are very perceptive and notice much more than we give them credit for. It is true for all people, of all ages, from all walks of life, and from all backgrounds.
It is exactly this observation that justifies the second approach of letting people notice, rather than needing to show it. One doesn’t really need to show how smart one is; people will always notice, especially those in higher-level management.
Higher-level managers will always recognize how smart you are, even if you are modest and humble about it. To add a bonus here: Be assured that not only will they notice it, they’ll appreciate it more, like you more for it, and reward you more—you can’t lose! The reverse is true with the “showing” approach. It will invite a potentially strong and negative reaction, where one might be perceived as a show-off: arrogant, self-absorbed, and lacking self-confidence. That is where the damage to career advancement is done.
Seek Little Credit
Some of the same thoughts that lead people to try to show how smart they are also heighten their need to make sure that they “get the full credit they deserve” for a job well done. This behavior is mostly driven by our fear that people could take our great work for granted, or will not be fully aware of who contributed most to a successful outcome. And if we don’t receive the appropriate credit for our work, how will we ever be rewarded with career advancement? This need becomes even stronger when we feel that somebody else may want to “claim” or try to “steal” the credit we deserve. The same observation I made above for trying to appear smart holds true here as well—it is best to not worry about it!
The negative reaction to trying to grab credit—either deserved, partially deserved, or not deserved at all—is even worse than trying to show how smart we are. First, the negative reactions are much more intense and the dislike of you will likely be much stronger. Additionally, you will most likely be penalized and thought of as not being a team player—one of the worst labels in business! So, as is the case with “showing-off,” my advice is to avoid trying to “make sure,” either directly or subtly, that you get the credit you feel you deserve. As I said, people (unless highly incompetent) will always notice your achievements, even if you might not be aware that you and your efforts are being noticed. And I repeat, be assured that not only will they notice it, they’ll appreciate it more, like you more for it, and reward you more—you can’t lose!
Give Lots of Credit
This deals with the opposite of trying to “grab” credit. Here I’m not just talking about giving credit to people who deserve it. I’m talking about giving credit to people who might not be as deserving. It is perfectly okay—give credit to everybody. Always spread credit around.
Don’t ever worry about diffusing or detracting from your own credit by doing so. I will repeat for the third time now, with a little variation, what I said above: Be assured that not only will your superiors know exactly to whom the credit really belongs, but they’ll appreciate it more, like you more for it, and reward you more. Again, you can’t lose!
Additionally, here you will earn a very important bonus. You will be labeled as a great team player, which is definitely an important factor in one’s career progression.
Never, Ever Compete with Your Boss
This predicament generally starts with a personal observation that our boss is just not as competent, knowledgeable, or smart as we are. Once we buy into this observation, dislike for our boss could set in. We question how the team is managed and view some work as unnecessary and unproductive. We then begin to question the boss’s relevance. At that point we will likely face three dilemmas: (i) We somehow “notice” that our boss makes more frequent mistakes and begin to wonder how much to disagree with them; (ii) we are not sure about what to do when our boss takes undeserved credit for work we have done; and (iii) we begin to wonder whether we should let other people, particularly higher management, know of our boss’s incompetence. In my opinion, you will then, in essence and de facto, be “competing” with your boss. I’m here to tell you that such thinking is unhelpful, unproductive, and corrosive. You should avoid at all cost the temptation to compete with your boss in any way, shape, or form.
Sometimes, we may not realize that our behavior rises to the level of competing with our boss. So beware that competing with your boss can manifest itself in a number of different ways. The most common is by disagreeing with your boss more often than is warranted, not in a sensible way, but rather in a more defiant way, and trying to prove that your boss is wrong and, by default, that you are right. The next escalation is when you do the same, but in front of others. The next level of escalation is when you feel that your boss has unjustly taken credit for your work without pointing out to others the important role you played, and then you confront your boss with that observation. The highest level of escalation is when you may have an opportunity to talk to senior management without your boss being present and somehow leave an impression that your boss is not competent or that you are a more skilled individual than your boss. My advice is that competing with your boss in any form is ill-advised and will hurt your career. Avoid it like the plague!
In addition: Never, overtly or covertly, directly or subtly, disparage your boss with senior management, or somehow try to leave an impression that your boss is not competent or that you are better than your boss.
Having advised you about what not to do regarding your boss, it would be appropriate to emphasize what you should do. I sum it up in a very succinct way: Always consider your job’s highest priority to be supportive of your boss, regardless of what you think and how you feel about them. As I said, people are extremely perceptive. They notice all, and your boss will always find it out one way or another. Remember, no one wants to have a subordinate who is not supportive.
Regarding receiving credit for a job well done, let your boss get all the credit, even if not well deserved—the more the better. The only credit you should hope for is that your boss will give you your due credit. Nobody else matters. Remember, it is always your boss who gets you promoted; it is your boss who can create or kill opportunities for you. It is your boss who can keep you or get you terminated. In other words, whether you like it or not, your career progression at any given phase is completely and solely in the hands of your boss. Treat them with respect, help them the most you can, and support them. In fact, I will state it even more emphatically: Your job is to make your boss look the best you possibly can. Credit given to you from anybody else is irrelevant. You will wisely learn over time that your boss’s opinion is always sought when you are considered for promotion. Also, many career advancements come our way when our bosses are promoted, and they bring us along or recommend us to others.
Before concluding this section, I would like to bring up, for the sake of completeness, two additional observations. The first is simply to point out that there are three lessons you should take away from this section when you yourself are a manager of people:
Lesson 1: Demand the utmost loyalty from your subordinates, as I suggest you show toward your boss. In fact, I would recommend you share what I discussed above with your subordinates, so that they are clear on your expectations.
Lesson 2: Give well-deserved credit to your subordinates. They will thrive on it.
Lesson 3: Don’t be afraid to allow your subordinates to receive credit from others, including your own superiors. It will never take away from you and will be a great motivator for your subordinates. In fact, don’t hesitate to do it yourself and give credit to a well-deserved subordinate in front of your superiors. It is always appreciated by everyone, including your superiors.
The second observation deals with the possibility that indeed your boss may not be the most competent manager, or that indeed you may be smarter than your boss. I only suggested that it is irrelevant. However, you could also be wrong.
You might think you are smarter or better, but in many cases you might be wrong. Remember, earlier in the book, I told you that as one moves up the managerial ranks, different skills become more important. At any point of your career, you are only able to evaluate a position from your perspective, which is limited to your level and below—rarely above, including your boss’s level. So, you are ill-equipped to judge.
Also, your ability to do it better doesn’t mean they are doing it poorly. Remember the 80-20 Rule. Your boss may be one of the 80 percent group and you might be a member of the 20 percent group, so you may be correct with your observation that you might be able to do it better. However, the world is run by the 80 percenters, and their level of performance is quite acceptable and considered competent, in most cases. Your ability to do it better doesn’t infer that they are incompetent or do things poorly. It could mean that you might have a more accelerated career than they may have had. So, strictly follow the advice in this section and remember: The way you will evaluate how competent or effective your boss is will rarely mirror how your boss is evaluated by their superiors.
An interesting observation may give you a good perspective. It is very apropos to the topic discussed. Over the years, I’ve heard many competent and wise managers repeat what they thought managers should do relative to their subordinates. One perspective kept repeating itself, one piece of advice that I followed myself and that paid many dividends: Always hire subordinates who are smarter than you are. It is the best way to accelerate your own career!
One last obvious but very important recommendation regarding this chapter: The advice given in this section is true not only relative to your behavior in the work environment, but should also be adhered to outside of work, particularly with all your job interviews. Any whiff of straying will most likely stop the interview process for you.