{"id":3268,"date":"2013-08-19T18:48:05","date_gmt":"2013-08-20T01:48:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scottcochrane.com\/?p=3268"},"modified":"2013-08-19T18:50:01","modified_gmt":"2013-08-20T01:50:01","slug":"debunking-the-it-doesnt-matter-who-gets-the-credit-myth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scottcochrane.com\/index.php\/2013\/08\/19\/debunking-the-it-doesnt-matter-who-gets-the-credit-myth\/","title":{"rendered":"Debunking the “It Doesn\u2019t Matter Who Gets the Credit\u201d Myth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally posted July 8, 2011<\/em><\/h1>\n

There is a well-known leadership axiom used in many churches that could be doing damage you’re not even aware of.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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It’s simply this: \u201cIf God gets the glory it doesn\u2019t matter who gets the credit.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

It sounds so\u2026so\u2026right. It sounds so noble\u2026It even sounds somehow biblical.<\/p>\n

But if you have embraced this in your ministry setting, I believe it could be undermining your leadership.<\/p>\n

Oh, I understand the sentiment underlying the statement. The idea is that we don\u2019t want our ministry cultures to be infected by a grandstanding players, vying for individual attention. I wholeheartedly agree with that.<\/p>\n

And we all want to be a part of ministry teams intent on glorifying God.<\/p>\n

I agree with that too.<\/p>\n

But the idea that you, as a leader, ought to be unaware as to who keeps coming up with your team\u2019s best ideas is ludicrous.<\/p>\n

It REALLY DOES MATTER who gets the credit.<\/p>\n

You need to know the relative strengths of your team players. You need to know who it is that is consistently, and disproportionately, generating the initiatives that are creating the most \u2018wins\u2019 for your organization. And for that to happen it needs to be \u201cokay\u201d in your culture for those top performers to be recognized.<\/p>\n

They need to get the credit.<\/p>\n

Jack Welch calls this \u2018differentiation\u2019. On his\u00a0website<\/a>, Welch puts it this way; \u201cCompanies win when their managers\u00a0make a clear and meaningful distinction<\/em>\u00a0between top and bottom performing businesses and people.\u201d<\/p>\n

You might say, \u201cOh, but that\u2019s\u00a0corporate<\/em>\u00a0culture\u2026Not\u00a0ministry<\/em>\u00a0culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Really?<\/p>\n

Luke 10 tells us that Jesus sent out 72 followers. Did he treat them all the same? No, there was a clear group of 12 that he differentiated. And among the 12 there were three, Peter, James and John, that he further differentiated. And even among the three there was one, John, designated as \u201cthe disciple Jesus loved\u201d.<\/p>\n

If you have bought into the idea that \u201cit doesn\u2019t matter who gets the credit\u201d step back and ask yourself these questions:<\/p>\n