"My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition"
About this Quote
The subtext is about power without theatrics. In a political ecosystem built on visibility, faction, and legacy, “doing the work” signals administrative competence and discipline, but it also implies a willingness to let others preen while you consolidate influence. That’s not saintliness; it’s a survival tactic. The line also smuggles in a worldview shaped by dynastic politics: credit is a currency, and people hoard it because it converts into authority. Advising someone to opt out reads like insider knowledge from a family that watched reputations rise and fall.
Context matters. Gandhi governed a newly independent nation where institutions were still hardening and personal legitimacy often substituted for bureaucratic stability. She knew how public narratives get manufactured - and how quickly they turn punitive. “Less competition” hints at the constant jockeying around leaders, the court politics of parties, even the hazards of becoming the face of every decision. The quote performs humility, but it’s also a map of the terrain: if you want to last, learn to operate where the cameras aren’t.
Quote Details
| Topic | Work Ethic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Gandhi, Indira. (2026, January 14). My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-grandfather-once-told-me-that-there-were-two-44013/
Chicago Style
Gandhi, Indira. "My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition." FixQuotes. January 14, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-grandfather-once-told-me-that-there-were-two-44013/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. He told me to try to be in the first group; there was much less competition." FixQuotes, 14 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-grandfather-once-told-me-that-there-were-two-44013/. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
