You can accomplish much if you DO care who gets the credit

I think it was Ronald Reagan who said, “You can accomplish much if you don’t care who gets the credit.” It has become an office maxim. And it has that aspirational feel to it. But I don’t believe it.

When people don’t get credit and recognition for their ideas, hard work, and success, they begin to lose heart. It’s very tempting to just sink down to the level of the average C-level worker when you realize that it won’t affect how many complements, accolades, or raises you get.

If you’re a boss, even if you can’t give a bonus or a raise, what can you do to recognize the achievements of your employees? How can you motivate your co-workers by simply thanking them for what they do? And how can you lift up your friends and family even by simply making verbal observations about the good things they do and the character you observe in them?