Connect with Fast Company

Early in his advertising career, Ernest Lupinacci faced the ultimate paradox in corporate America: how to stand out while still being a "team player." A junior writer for the ad firm Weiss, Whitten, Carroll, Stagliano, he had dreamed up a little ad for Moosehead beer featuring Bill Clinton. The kicker: "Proof that President-elect Clinton didn't avoid the draft." The ad was pure gold--inexpensive, controversial, and true (Clinton did, in fact, drink Moosehead). But as reporters from outlets as varied as Modern Brewery Age and The New York Times lined up to get the story behind the campaign, Lupinacci's boss, the creative director, was the one who took the calls. "This is how it works," his boss assured him. "You're part of a team." Having his first big break muffled in the name of teamwork? "There's no denying it," Lupinacci admits. "A little bit of my soul died."

No question, teamwork is in and lone wolves are out in the modern organization, and that can make it tough for the individual to shine. Companies are loath to play up one employee's contribution over another's for fear of damaging morale or creating a star system. And coworkers hate a braggart.

But you don't have to sublimate personal glory in the name of the team. "Forget sacrificing the credit to others: Communism didn't work," says executive coach Marshall Goldsmith. "We live in a capitalist world--but when we go to work, we're supposed to pretend we have no self-interest?" Given that companies aren't likely to buck the team spirit anytime soon, we set out to discover how to take credit without coming off like a self-promoter.

In team-based cultures, highlighting your accomplishments does require a delicate balancing act. "I've been screamed at for using the word 'I' in emails and meetings," says Jennifer Handshew, a public-relations exec. "Even though you have a personal relationship with the client, agencies want to give the impression that clients are paying for a team." Handshew, who has 10 years of experience, has found that working with smaller clients lets her better spotlight her achievements. The highest-profile assignments, though nice, are the ones where the boss will invariably take the credit.

Even in a big-league situation, though, you can express what your contribution was, as long as you have the self-esteem to put yourself first. "Being confident means being a little egotistical," says John Palumbo, a marketing executive who has launched major campaigns for Nintendo and AT&T. "But be honest and upfront. Walk through your thought process--how you presented the idea and how it came to be. If your idea was just the spark, say you were just the spark." If you're concerned about how the team will react, remember to have a sense of humor. "When I claim a project, I'm always a bit tongue-in-cheek," he says.

There are real risks to disappearing inside a team. "Someone once told me to be a team player, to hide in the tall grass," says Blythe McGarvie, a former CFO at BIC Group, the pen maker, and at Hannaford Bros., a supermarket chain. "Later I learned that if you hide in the tall grass, you're going to get mowed under when it's time for a layoff or reduction. You have to stand out. Mowed around is better."