The problem with taking offense is that it's really hard to figure out what to do with it after you're done using it. Better to just leave it on the table and walk away. Umbrage untaken quietly disappears.
Seth GodinRead
It’s okay. Let your ego push you to be the initiator. But tell your ego that the best way to get something shipped is to let other people take the credit. The real win for you (and your ego) is seeing something get shipped, not in getting the credit when it does.
Interpretation
What this quote means
It's important to focus on achieving results rather than seeking personal credit.
This quote emphasizes that while a certain level of ego can drive one to initiate projects, true success lies not in the desire for recognition but in the accomplishment itself. By allowing others to take credit, you foster collaboration and ensure that the end goal—a completed project—is achieved, which ultimately benefits everyone involved, including your own sense of achievement.
Themes
EgoSuccessCreditCollaborationAchievement
In practice
Example use cases
In a team meeting, you can use this quote to encourage your colleagues to focus on the project's success rather than individual accolades.
More from Seth Godin
All quotes →Not adding value is the same as taking it away.
Seth GodinRead
Excellence isn’t about meeting the spec, it’s about setting the spec. It defines what the consumer sees as quality right this minute, and tomorrow, if you’re good, you’ll reset that expectation again
Seth GodinRead
Living with doubt ... is almost always more profitable than living with certainty. _x000D_ People don't like doubt, so they pay money and give up opportunities to avoid it. _x000D_ Entrepreneurshi p is largely about living with doubt. If you need reassurance, you're giving up quite a bit to get it. On the other hand, if you can get in the habit of seeking out uncertainty, you'll have developed a great instinct.
Seth GodinRead
The danger of the Web is that you can go from idea to public announcement in under ten minutes.
Seth GodinRead
Art isn't only a painting. Art is anything that is creative, passionate and personal. Art is the unique work of a human being created to touch another. Art is created to have an impact, to change someone else.
Seth GodinRead
Similar quotes
There are only two words that will always lead you to success. Those words are yes and no. Undoubtedly, you've mastered saying yes. So start practicing saying no. Your goals depend on it!
Jack CanfieldRead
The Big Dream of any entrepreneur really has very little to do with the entrepreneur. If you truly love repairing automobiles, chances are, you'll be a lousy business owner. Likewise, if you are fascinated by debits and credits, the dream of building an accounting firm with you at the helm is probably best left unfulfilled.
Michael GerberRead
Luck is the residue of opportunity and design.
Branch RickeyRead
Whatever there is of greatness in the United States, or indeed in any other country, is due to labor. The laborer is the author of all greatness and wealth. Without labor there would be no government, no leading class, and nothing to preserve.
Ulysses S. GrantRead
To succeed you have to believe in something with such a passion that it becomes a reality.
Anita RoddickRead
A lack of money is never, ever, ever a problem. A lack of money is merely a symptom of what is going on underneath.
T. Harv EkerRead