--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is improper for one person to take…" description: "\"It is improper for one person to take credit when it takes so many people to build a successful organization. When you try to be top dong, you don't cr..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/james-sinegal-17187_blame_it-is-improper-for-one-person-to-take-cr_158121.png" --- # It is improper for one person to take credit when it takes… ![“It is improper for one person to take credit when it takes so many people to build a successful organization. When you try to be top dong, you don't create loyalty. It you can't give credit (and take blame), you will drown in you inability to inspire.” quote by James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/james-sinegal-17187_blame_it-is-improper-for-one-person-to-take-cr_158121.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/james-sinegal-17187_blame_it-is-improper-for-one-person-to-take-cr_158121.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/68d/james-sinegal-17187_blame_it-is-improper-for-one-person-to-take-cr_158121.png) > “It is improper for one person to take credit when it takes so many people to build a successful organization. When you try to be top dong, you don't create loyalty. It you can't give credit (and take blame), you will drown in you inability to inspire.” [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Credit should be shared; leadership requires acknowledging team effort and taking responsibility for failures. **In simple terms:** Good leaders share credit and own mistakes. Key Takeaway Share success, accept blame. Themes leadership teamwork humility Mood reflective serious Type advice leadership When to use this quote - building a company - project management - team meetings - crisis handling Key Concepts shared responsibility inspiration organizational culture Questions to Reflect On - How can you publicly recognize contributors? - What happens when leaders avoid blame? A Different Perspective If credit is hoarded, morale drops and trust erodes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Credit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credit/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Loyalty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/loyalty/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/) [Successful organizations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful-organizations/) ## Related quotes > [Company culture is the backbone of any successful organization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-vaynerchuk/company-culture-is-the-backbone-of-any-successful-organization/) [Gary Vaynerchuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-vaynerchuk/) > [The mark of a successful organization isn't whether or not it has problems, its whether it has the same problems it had last year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-foster-dulles/the-mark-of-a-successful-organization-isn-t-whether-or-not-it-has/) [John Foster Dulles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-foster-dulles/) > [How do you build a successful organization or culture? It's the people. The people part, in business and basketball, is huge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-myers/how-do-you-build-a-successful-organization-or-culture-it-s-the-people/) [Bob Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-myers/) > [Everyone in a successful organization must be willing and ready to risk. Risk is like change; it's not a choice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-de-pree/everyone-in-a-successful-organization-must-be-willing-and-ready-to/) [Max De Pree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-de-pree/) > [“In the ass is how you create loyalty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-roth/in-the-ass-is-how-you-create-loyalty/) [Philip Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-roth/) > [You know something is important when you're willing to let someone else take the credit if that's what it takes to get it done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/you-know-something-is-important-when-you-re-willing-to-let-someone/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [“No other person should ever get credit for being the best part of who you are. They may have helped shape you, lent you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noelle-salazar/no-other-person-should-ever-get-credit-for-being-the-best-part-of-who/) Noelle Salazar > [A person's credit report is one of the most important tools consumers can use to maintain their financial security and credit rating, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-hinojosa/a-person-s-credit-report-is-one-of-the-most-important-tools-consumers/) [Ruben Hinojosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-hinojosa/) > [“Do you know my biggest regret?" She asks. "That you turned into this bright, beautiful, fascinating person... and I can't take credit for any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephanie-perkins/do-you-know-my-biggest-regret-she-asks-that-you-turned-into-this/) [Stephanie Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-perkins/) > [No one person can take credit for the success of a motion picture. It's strictly a team effort. From the time the story is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/no-one-person-can-take-credit-for-the-success-of-a-motion-picture-it/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Superior people take both the credit and the blame for everything that happens to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/superior-people-take-both-the-credit-and-the-blame-for-everything/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [Especially with our first child, we tend to take too much responsibility--both credit and blame--for everything. The more we wantto be good parents, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polly-berrien-berends/especially-with-our-first-child-we-tend-to-take-too-much/) [Polly Berrien Berends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polly-berrien-berends/) > [“The cigarette gets the credit for everything and the blame for nothing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-carr/the-cigarette-gets-the-credit-for-everything-and-the-blame-for-nothing/) [Allen Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-carr/) > [There's a lot of individual credit and blame in a capitalist society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-o-meara-sanders/there-s-a-lot-of-individual-credit-and-blame-in-a-capitalist-society/) [Jane O'Meara Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-o-meara-sanders/) > [“The flip side of credit is blame. A tendency to blame others, or circumstances, is generally a recipe for unhappiness in life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-maister/the-flip-side-of-credit-is-blame-a-tendency-to-blame-others-or/) [David H. Maister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-maister/) ## More by James Sinegal > [Driving stock up from one day to the next is not what we are about. We are about building a good company and performing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/driving-stock-up-from-one-day-to-the-next-is-not-what-we-are-about-we/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [If we take care of the business and keep our eye on the goal line, the stock price will take care of itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/if-we-take-care-of-the-business-and-keep-our-eye-on-the-goal-line-the/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [I say at our management conferences that the amount Wal-Mart grows in just one year is the equivalent of Costco's size.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/i-say-at-our-management-conferences-that-the-amount-wal-mart-grows-in/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [There was a proposal in California that would keep out Wal-Mart but allow Costco. You opposed it. Are you nuts? That's true: I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/there-was-a-proposal-in-california-that-would-keep-out-wal-mart-but/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [We want to turn our inventory faster than our people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/we-want-to-turn-our-inventory-faster-than-our-people/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [In the final analysis, you get what you pay for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/in-the-final-analysis-you-get-what-you-pay-for/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [If you've got to work for the rest of your life, you'd better do something you'll enjoy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/if-you-ve-got-to-work-for-the-rest-of-your-life-you-d-better-do/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [One of the strengths of our nation has always been a strong middle class who could afford their own homes and send their children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/one-of-the-strengths-of-our-nation-has-always-been-a-strong-middle/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [If you're going to say to all the people that you're working with, 'We want you to treat the customers honestly; don't lie and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/if-you-re-going-to-say-to-all-the-people-that-you-re-working-with-we/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [You just can't get too focused on worrying about what's going to happen in the next quarter. You have to worry about where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/you-just-can-t-get-too-focused-on-worrying-about-what-s-going-to/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [If you hire good people, give them good jobs, and pay them good wages, generally something good is going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/if-you-hire-good-people-give-them-good-jobs-and-pay-them-good-wages/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [You destroy the initiative of the working people if they don't feel they have a fighting chance to be a part of the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/you-destroy-the-initiative-of-the-working-people-if-they-don-t-feel/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [The message is that all brilliance emanates from the top; that the worker on the floor of the store or the factory is insignificant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/the-message-is-that-all-brilliance-emanates-from-the-top-that-the/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [If somehow a proclamation were made that C.E.O.'s could only make a maximum of $300,000 a year, you would not have any shortage of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/if-somehow-a-proclamation-were-made-that-c-e-o-s-could-only-make-a/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [Paying good wages is not in opposition to good productivity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/paying-good-wages-is-not-in-opposition-to-good-productivity/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) [Explore all 38 James Sinegal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) ## More Blame quotes > [“I have to blame myself for not finding any way of reaching him, but I can't feel that either Ruth or I had anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-stegner/i-have-to-blame-myself-for-not-finding-any-way-of-reaching-him-but-i/) [Wallace Stegner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-stegner/) > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. Me girlfriend sort of blames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/me-mum-used-to-always-have-the-radio-on-even-now-she-has-it-on-in/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [I like to praise and reward loudly, to blame quietly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-the-great/i-like-to-praise-and-reward-loudly-to-blame-quietly/) [Catherine the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-the-great/) > [Some of the things that I said I hated to say, but blame yourself mother fucker you made it this way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jedi-mind-tricks/some-of-the-things-that-i-said-i-hated-to-say-but-blame-yourself/) [Jedi Mind Tricks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jedi-mind-tricks/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In places where government priorities and market imperatives create a world so capricious that to help a neighbor is to risk your ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-boo/in-places-where-government-priorities-and-market-imperatives-create-a/) [Katherine Boo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-boo/) > [“Stop Blaming Others For Your Own Actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-g-roldan/stop-blaming-others-for-your-own-actions/) [Alexis G. Roldan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-g-roldan/) > [We know from this book entitled... What is it? Surrendered? Succumbed? I can never remember the title perform. And we learn from this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-know-from-this-book-entitled-what-is-it-surrendered-succumbed-i/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [I don't blame anyone .. I did this to myself .. It's my fault .. Everything is my FAULT ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nurnizz95/i-don-t-blame-anyone-i-did-this-to-myself-it-s-my-fault-everything-is/) Nurnizz95 > [“They would congratulate themselves every morning on keeping their integrity, and blame themselves each night for that missed opportunity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/they-would-congratulate-themselves-every-morning-on-keeping-their/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [I try to live my life where I end up at a point where I have no regrets. So I try to choose the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-aronofsky/i-try-to-live-my-life-where-i-end-up-at-a-point-where-i-have-no/) [Darren Aronofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-aronofsky/) > [How come you don't feel that magic in the air? I guess I knew you'll never be there. I guess I knew you never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-come-you-don-t-feel-that-magic-in-the-air-i-guess-i-knew-you-ll/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am down mentally. I can't understand how it happened and who is to blame? I don't know why the ground was rolled before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yeasin-khan/i-am-down-mentally-i-can-t-understand-how-it-happened-and-who-is-to/) Yeasin Khan > [A refusal to admit one's mistake & not accepting responsibility for that mistake by blaming everyone else, is d beginning of one's decline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-refusal-to-admit-one-s-mistake-not-accepting-responsibility-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Listen, the guy was not created by coverage from MSNBC and CNN. If you want to blame us for making Donald Trump president because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katy-tur/listen-the-guy-was-not-created-by-coverage-from-msnbc-and-cnn-if-you/) [Katy Tur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katy-tur/) Browse all 3,779 Blame quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is improper for one person to take credit when it takes so many people to build a successful organization. When you try to be top dong, you don't create loyalty. 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