In a recent LinkedIn post, Heather Monahan discusses how downplaying professional achievements can distort others’ understanding of a person’s contribution. Her advice centers on replacing self-effacing phrases with clear descriptions of the effort and ideas behind a result.
“When you call your results luck, you’re telling the room your success could have happened to anyone. And people believe you.”
Giving success an accurate explanation
Monahan argues that describing an accomplishment as luck can make it seem accidental or easily replicated. In her view, that language does more than express modesty: it can obscure the work that produced the outcome. Her post frames self-recognition as a practical way to help colleagues understand what someone brings to a team.
As Heather Monahan notes, “Until we realize our value, no one else will either.” The statement connects how people speak about their own work with how others assess it. Her point is not that every achievement should be claimed without regard for collaborators, but that individuals can name their own role clearly.
Replacing minimizing language
According to Monahan, several common expressions can minimize a person’s contribution. She suggests saying “I worked hard for that” instead of “I got lucky,” identifying the specific work completed instead of describing oneself as “just part of the team,” and presenting an idea without prefacing it as potentially “dumb.”
These examples make the post’s advice concrete: describe the work, name the contribution, and let an idea stand on its own. Monahan presents the alternatives as small changes in wording that can shift how professional interactions communicate competence.
A response to compliments
Monahan also recommends a brief reply when someone recognizes a result:
“Thank you, I worked hard for that,”
She advises readers to stop there rather than immediately qualifying or diminishing the achievement. The suggested response acknowledges the compliment and the effort behind the outcome without making a broader claim about who deserves credit.
Taking credit without erasing teamwork
Heather Monahan argues that taking credit gives people a more accurate picture of what a colleague contributes. That emphasis on accuracy is central to her post: naming one’s part in a shared result can sit alongside recognition that the work involved a team. The examples encourage readers to be specific about individual effort rather than defaulting to language that hides it.
The post closes by asking readers which minimizing phrase they catch themselves using and where. That question invites reflection on how habitual language operates across professional settings, from presenting ideas to responding to praise. Monahan’s broader message is that clear, measured self-advocacy helps make work visible to the people evaluating it.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Heather Monahan on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on November 6, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →