How to Be Someone Who Makes Your Colleagues Shine

Something happened recently during a team meeting. A junior developer finally finished a feature they'd been working on for weeks and showed us a demo. Honestly, when I first saw the design, I thought, "This needs a different approach..." But I held back and watched. Surprisingly, they solved the problem in a way I never expected. After the meeting, the team lead asked me:

"Did you help with this feature's design?"

I felt a strange mix of emotions. 'It would be easy to say I helped...' But instead, I answered:

"No, Minsu did it all himself. I just gave some direction at the beginning."

The reason I'm writing this is that after nearly 20 years as a developer, I've come to understand one truth: truly capable people aren't those who make themselves shine, but those who make their colleagues shine.

I Used to Be Different

Honestly, when I was seven years into my career and fully immersed in development, I was the opposite. When projects succeeded, I emphasized my contributions. In meetings, I focused on pushing my opinions through. I kept thinking, 'I know more, my way is right.'

A colleague who quit around that time said something I still remember:

Colleague: "Beopjung, you're really talented... but working with you somehow makes me feel small."
Me: ...Huh?

Those words stuck with me. It was ambiguous whether it was praise or criticism, but there was clearly an uncomfortable truth in it. Looking back, while I was trying to shine, my colleagues were gradually becoming shadows.

Starting to Change Small Things

After that, I consciously started changing my behavior. It was really awkward and difficult at first.

First, stepping back in meetings

Previously, I would share my opinions first and set the direction. Now I intentionally wait. When someone cautiously shares an idea, instead of immediately adding my thoughts, I ask:

Me: "That's an interesting idea. Can you explain more specifically how you'd implement it?"

This small question creates a huge opportunity for colleagues. It gives them space to develop their thinking. In my experience, after about 3 months of this, even team members who never spoke up in meetings start actively sharing opinions.

Second, sharing credit

When projects wrap up well, there are executive presentations. The old me would have said "I designed this and implemented that..." But now I approach it differently.

Me: "This project started from Sujin's idea. Minsu led the initial design, and Jaehyun solved the most difficult performance issues. I just helped with some direction along the way."

At first, I thought saying this would put me at a disadvantage. But surprisingly, the opposite happened. Team members became more proactive, and people started seeing me as "a leader who builds good teams."

When Colleagues Shine, I Shine Too

The biggest realization was this: making colleagues shine isn't sacrificing myself—it's ultimately a path where I grow together with them.

For example, when I do code reviews, I used to do it like this:

Old me: "This part would be better if you changed it like this. The reasons are A, B, C..."

Now I do it like this:

Current me: "This code is really clean. The error handling here is particularly impressive. Have you considered this case too? Want to discuss it together?"

Same feedback, but the former proves I know more, while the latter respects the colleague's thinking and grows together. Small things like these naturally build trust with colleagues.

One team member recently told me:

Team member: "Working with you makes me feel like I've become a better person. I've gained confidence too."

That meant more than any compliment. It wasn't me shining—the people around me were starting to shine.

Specifically, How to Do It

How do you treat your colleagues? Are you unconsciously trying to shine alone?

I practice small habits like these:

• When someone shares a good idea in a meeting, I immediately say "That's a really great idea."
• When other departments have questions, I try to introduce the team member who built that feature rather than answering myself.
• When team members write blog posts or prepare presentations, I actively give feedback and encourage them.
• When someone makes a mistake, I don't call it out publicly—I talk to them privately one-on-one.
• During project retrospectives, I always mention "This was possible thanks to so-and-so."

I'm just saying this worked for me. It feels awkward at first and like you're losing out, but after about 6 months, the team atmosphere completely changes. It was amazing to see a culture of mutual recognition and praise develop.

Ultimately, Going Together

Moreover, working this way has unexpected benefits. When colleagues start shining, they begin to make me shine too. When difficult problems arise, they come to help first. They naturally fill in my weak spots. Together, we can reach places I never could have reached alone.

Overheard conversation between colleagues:

Colleague A: "The team vibe is really good these days, isn't it? Before, everyone was so busy with their own work."
Colleague B: "Right. It makes you want to help each other. When someone does well, you genuinely want to celebrate."

The moment I overheard this, I thought, 'Ah, I'm on the right track.'

Making colleagues shine isn't sacrificing myself. It's actually making myself greater. A night sky where many stars shine together is much more beautiful than a single star shining alone, isn't it?

In Closing

Try it for just one week. Step back in meetings and listen to your colleagues' opinions. When someone does well, genuinely compliment them. Share the credit. Watch how that small change transforms your team and yourself.

I'm now certain: truly capable people aren't those who shine alone, but those who make the people they work with shine. And as you help colleagues shine, you'll discover that you're shining alongside them.