Great experts don’t pat themselves on the back or take credit when things go well. They give credit to others sincerely and generously.

In Super Bowl LIII, the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams 13–3. After the game, Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick was called the best coach of all time. Instead of accepting credit for himself, he immediately gave credit to the players. He said, "This is a great day for our football team. Obviously, Mr. Kraft [the team owner] put this all together, but it’s all about the players. These guys worked so hard all year. They just competed every week. And they competed today like champions. They played like champions."

When pressed further to take credit, he was asked, "How did you come up with a game plan like that to stop the Rams?"

To which Belichick responded, "Well, it’s tough. They’re a great football team. They’re very well coached, but it’s really about the players. They made the plays. They stopped the run. They tackled the quarterback. They covered the receivers."

Two years later, Tom Brady, the longtime quarterback under Belichick, moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This time, in Super Bowl LV, Brady won the championship, again. With the focus on Brady, he too pointed to his teammates: "I’m so proud of all these guys out here." Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians added, "This really belongs to our coaching staff and our players. I didn’t do a thing. You guys won this game."

All SMEs can take a lesson from these football experts. No matter how much credit you deserve for your part in a victory, you can always extend the credit to others. Few SMEs are successful alone.