Via a recent Arming the Donkeys podcast with Bruno Frey is the notion that people care more about recognition than money as a motivating factor. More specifically they care about peer recognition rather than just generic recognition.

Same podcast, but different episode is an interview with Bobbie Spellman around her research into credibility.

  • Confidence begets greater credibility
  • How believable in the past a person has been is a factor of credibility
  • This works in your favor if people don’t know about your past performance

These seem to fit together pretty well. Seems to me that if you tone down your assertions (or caveat them) your long-term credibility will be upheld which would then lead to more peer recognition.