There’s a Vernon Howard principle that seems almost deceptively simple:
“Be aware of how human nature declares, ‘I want all the glory, you do the work.’”
On its face, it’s merely an observation of human behavior. But look deeper, and it becomes a piercing commentary on ego, entitlement, leadership, and even our own blind spots.
This isn’t just a principle—it’s a mirror.
And like most mirrors, if you look long enough, you start to see more than you bargained for.
The Ancient Pattern: Praise Me, Burden You
Thousands of years before Howard wrote those words, the same dynamic played out in tribes, families, workplaces, and nations. Those who wanted the appearance of greatness often relied on others to do the unseen, unglamorous work.
The pattern is so familiar that you can probably name a few people immediately:
- The colleague who signs their name to a group project but doesn’t touch a single task.
- The boss who takes the victory lap while the team works late nights.
- The friend who wants the benefits of success without the discipline required to achieve it.
This dynamic is found everywhere because it comes from an ancient part of human nature:
The craving for significance without the responsibility that earns it.
We’ve all seen it.
Many of us have lived it.
Some of us—if we’re honest—have done it.
The Delusion of Effortless Glory
Howard doesn’t say we want the glory.
He says human nature wants all the glory.
There’s an important distinction.
Wanting the glory means you appreciate recognition, reward, or feeling valued.
That’s normal.
But wanting all the glory means you want the spotlight without sharing credit.
You want prestige without participation.
You want achievement without the sweat.
It’s the refusal to accept a simple truth:
There is no meaningful glory without meaningful effort.
But human nature tries to bend that law.
It wants to cheat the process.
Why This Principle Stings: Because We Recognize Ourselves in It
It’s tempting to read Howard’s line and think of other people.
But the most significant value of this principle lies in how it nudges us—quietly, but firmly—to examine the places where we do the same.
Maybe we’re not blatant credit-takers.
Maybe we don’t assign the heavy lifting to others while we stand by.
But there are subtler versions:
- Expecting others to understand our needs without communicating clearly.
- Hoping success will “just happen” without consistent, disciplined work.
- Wanting admiration without cultivating mastery.
- Wishing for progress without enduring discomfort.
- Expecting relationships to flourish without tending to them.
In each case, human nature whispers:
You deserve the reward—surely someone or something else will handle the effort.
Howard is asking us to wake up to that whisper.
Leadership: Where This Principle Becomes a Warning
In leadership—whether managing a team, mentoring others, running an organization, or simply being a reliable colleague—this principle becomes a critical check.
Authentic leadership is impossible when we want all the glory but delegate all the responsibility.
Great leaders share both.
Poor leaders hoard the spotlight and distribute the labor.
Whenever you see a high-performance culture—business, nonprofit, healthcare, military, creative teams—you find the same pattern:
Leaders absorb responsibility and share credit.
Egoists absorb credit and share responsibility.
One builds trust.
The other builds resentment.
The Trap: Thinking We’re the Exception
Here’s the uncomfortable part: the ego always believes it is the exception.
Ego says:
- “I’ve worked hard before—I’ve earned a break.”
- “Others have more time than I do.”
- “They’re better at this task anyway.”
- “People should notice my contributions without me having to articulate them.”
- “I’m the visionary—others can handle the details.”
This principle invites us to ask:
Where am I quietly expecting others to carry what is mine to carry?
Where am I trying to skip the process but still claim the reward?
These questions are humbling—but they are also freeing.
They reorient us toward integrity.
The Liberating Alternative: Shared Glory, Shared Effort
When we step out of the “you do the work, I take the credit” mindset—even its subtle forms—we move into a more generous, collaborative way of living.
We become the colleague who says,
“Let’s do this together—and when it succeeds, we’ll celebrate together.”
We become the family member who contributes entirely rather than relying on others to pick up emotional or practical slack.
We become the leader who recognizes effort in others and motivates people by honoring their contributions.
We become the friend who gives as much as we receive.
And interestingly, when we stop seeking all the glory…
We often earn more respect than we imagined.
People trust us.
People value us.
People want to work with us.
People know we stand beside them, not above them.
That is its own kind of glory—quiet, steady, real.
A Closing Reflection
Vernon Howard’s principle is not an indictment; it’s an invitation.
It invites us to look honestly at where we might be living off borrowed effort—ours or someone else’s.
It invites us to step out of ego and into authenticity.
It invites us to become the kind of person who earns what they receive and shares what they gain.
And perhaps most importantly…
It invites us to remember that the work and the glory are intertwined.
You can’t have one without the other.
And when you honor the work—your own and others’—the glory takes care of itself.
