Taking Credit: The Only Thing Beneath a Great GM
In the world of blue-collar leadership, where success is measured in output, uptime, safety, and retention, the General Manager (GM) is the linchpin.
They are responsible for balancing the demands of operations, people, and performance.
And yet, the truly great GMs – the ones who quietly transform departments, lift morale, and consistently outperform expectations – tend to share one defining trait:
They’ll do any job needed to keep things moving forward, but they never take the credit.
Welcome to the paradox of exceptional leadership: “Taking credit” is the only thing beneath a great GM.
Let’s unpack why this mindset sets apart the average from the extraordinary — and why it’s exactly what today’s industries desperately need.
Whatever It Takes: No Job Is Beneath a Real Leader
When equipment goes down, a line worker calls off, or a facility needs cleaning, mediocre leaders delegate from a distance – or ignore it altogether. Great GMs, on the other hand, jump in.
- They push brooms without hesitation.
- They scrub bathrooms if it means keeping morale high or meeting a cleanliness standard.
- They run machines when a shift is short or an order is behind.
- They haul materials, answer phones, unload trucks, or whatever else the situation demands.
Why?
They understand that leadership is not status — it’s service.
Their credibility doesn’t come from a title, it comes from action. Their team sees them as one of their own, someone who won’t ask others to do what they themselves would avoid.
This kind of humility doesn’t just solve problems — it builds loyalty. It erases hierarchy. It sets a cultural tone: “We do what needs to be done, together.”
The Quiet Discipline of Giving Credit Away
But if a great GM is everywhere, doing everything, wouldn’t it make sense for them to get the praise?
Not according to the great ones.
While poor leaders hoard credit and polish their own reputations, the best GMs deflect praise and shine the spotlight on their teams. When the division hits a record month, they say things like:
- “The crew really stepped up.”
- “My supervisors did an incredible job managing the load.”
- “The maintenance team made this possible — they kept us running.”
They know that giving credit away:
- Builds pride among team members
- Reinforces ownership across departments
- Creates an upward cycle of trust and initiative
- Strengthens retention by making people feel seen and valued
When people feel ownership of success, they work harder to repeat it.
Ironically, by not taking credit, great GMs end up earning even more respect — not because they seek it, but because they inspire it.
When the Bathroom is Clean, So is the Culture
Imagine walking into a plant where the GM scrubbed the bathroom because the janitor was out. What does that tell you?
It tells you everything.
It tells you this is a leader who cares.
Who shows, not just tells.
Who puts ego second and pride in the work first.
This is more than symbolism. It sends a message to every employee: “We all matter. No task is too small. Excellence is everyone’s job.”
That kind of culture doesn’t just look good – it performs better.
The Long Game: Leadership That Lasts
There’s a certain kind of GM who burns bright and fast. They walk in loud, clean house, demand excellence, take the praise, and burn people out. Their impact might look impressive for a quarter or two – but it’s never sustainable.
Compare that to the GM who leads from the floor, gives others the credit, and builds trust over time. They’re the ones who:
- Attract the best employees
- Keep people longer
- Handle crises without chaos
- Develop future leaders from within
- Leave behind cultures that keep winning even after they’re gone
That’s the long game. That’s legacy leadership.
Final Thoughts: From the Floor to the Top — But Never Above the Work
The best General Managers in blue-collar America know the secret: real leadership has dirt under its fingernails.
They don’t insulate themselves behind office doors. They live on the floor, in the breakroom, out in the yard – wherever the action is. They model humility and hustle. They clean, fix, lift, sort, and sweep – because the mission matters more than the title.
But when success comes?
They disappear into the background and let their people shine.
That’s why “taking credit” is the only thing truly beneath a great GM.
