Taming the Office Glory Hunter: How to Deal with Credit-Stealing Colleagues

Every creative team seems to have one: that overly ambitious employee who swoops in to steal the limelight whenever someone else gets recognition. They insert themselves into others' work, make snide comments, and generally make the workplace feel less safe for everyone. If you're dealing with this situation, you're not alone, and there are practical ways to address it.

This question was answered by Dr Erica Crome – Clinical Psychologist and Health Manager – alongside Nicky Bryson – Principal and Co-founder of Sayers Brand Momentum, with Andy Wright – Founder of Never Not Creative and CEO of Streamtime – hosting the discussion. Erica brings expertise in workplace psychology and team dynamics, while Nicky offers strategic insights from her extensive experience in brand and consumer strategy.

Recognise the real impact on your team

If you're noticing these behaviours, chances are others are too. As Erica explains, "It sounds like some of these behaviours are really starting to impact that sense of psychological safety, which is where people feel that they can share ideas, they can take a few risks around people, they can talk about things that they're not sure of as well."

This isn't just about hurt feelings. Erica points out that "if you've got someone like this in your team, it's actually going to be really harming the team's ability to produce good work, to innovate, to try new things as well."

Address it based on your role

Your approach depends on your relationship to this person. If you're their manager, Erica is clear: "I would definitely point it out. This is an area of professional development for them." She explains that "it's gonna be really hard for this person to develop good relationships throughout their career if they're engaging in these kinds of behaviors."

The behaviour might stem from overconfidence or underconfidence, but either way, it needs addressing. If they're a peer, the situation becomes trickier, but don't assume it's not worth raising with leadership.

Don't worry about sounding petty

Erica challenges the assumption that studio owners would find these concerns petty: "I actually challenge the idea that the studio owner would find this really petty if there's a behaviour that's making whole teams uncomfortable."

As a leader, Erica notes, "I know I would want to know about it quickly because then I can do something about it with that person one-on-one. I'd rather be picking up those things and acting on them quickly than having whole teams leave because they're really unhappy with the environment they're in."

Make your conversation productive

When you do raise the issue, focus on specifics. Erica advises "really focusing on examples of behaviour. So make it really tangible and then talking about the impact that those behaviours have. So don't make it about that person, make it really objective about what they're doing and then what the consequences of those are."

Support each other as a team

Nicky offers a brilliant tactical approach: create a united front. She explains this as an "assist" system where team members actively support each other to ensure proper credit is given. "If Erica said something and Andy didn't hear her or just didn't listen or didn't get the credit she deserved, I would sniff it and say, Erica, that's a great comment from you."

This approach works because "it's really hard to be like, no, I did that because it feels really petty. So I would try to help assisting each other in a way to make sure that your voices are heard equally."

Dealing with an overly ambitious employee who steals everyone's limelight isn't about being petty or oversensitive. It's about protecting the psychological safety and creative potential of your entire team. Whether you're a manager who needs to address it directly or a peer who can support colleagues through an assist system, taking action helps create the kind of workplace where everyone's contributions are recognised and valued.