A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.

Credit and effectiveness pull against each other more often than people admit. A group that believes the achievement is theirs will defend it, extend it and repeat it unprompted, while a group that knows exactly who to thank waits to be told what happens next. The quieter approach is not modesty, it is a calculation about where the energy should live.

Notice how often you narrate your own contribution in meetings. Try leaving it out once and see whether the work suffers or only your visibility does. The answer matters, and it may not be the one you expect.