How to get respect.

I recently started a thread on the difference between a manager and a leader (Management Versus Leadership thread) and I wanted to expand on that but thought a new post would be more appropriate.

One of the desired common traits of both a manager AND a leader is someone who is respected. It is quite obvious that anyone who isn’t respected by their team, peers and higher-ups isn’t going to achieve results and make any headway.

Continuing on with that theme, I wanted to share an article from The Entrepreneur which I thought highly relevant. It contains some key qualities that a well-respected person needs to have in order to be successful, a summary of which is below:

Polite
This doesn’t just apply to your colleagues or team but being polite should extend to everyone you come across throughout the day. Using good manners is such an important way to earn respect of those around you and should never be overlooked.

Be respectful.
This might sound obvious but respect is a two-way-street and if you want it, you have to give it. Dis-respectful actions such as eye-rolling, gossiping and not paying attention when someone is talking to you will breed in that environment and create a knock-on effect which will spread throughout the whole team. Always pay attention and listen and take on people’s views, even if you don’t agree with them.

Be helpful
Being available to help a colleague out is a great way to earn respect. It shows that you’re prepared to get your hands dirty and don’t see yourself as ‘above’ helping with their tasks. Often people don’t like to ask for help, so being aware when someone is struggling and offering your assistance is even better.

Don’t make excuses
This is a great point and something I’d never really been aware of before. It’s important to own your actions, even the ones where you didn’t make the right decision. Making excuses when things don’t go the way you hoped they would will only lead to resentment and dis-trust among your team. When appropriate, hold up your hands and say ‘I made a mistake’ and watch the respect flow from your colleagues!

Forgive and forget.
Holding onto anger will cause an angry team. It’ll have a knock on effect on everyone you’re associated with and will spread like poison. You are always going to butt heads with those around you but there are ways of dealing with the aftermath; some are productive and some not so. Let the moment go and you’ll find yourself with much more respect from your team.

Be adaptable.
Growing and evolving as a person, colleague and team mate means being open to change. It means taking advantage of opportunities and trying new things. If you are closed off and think that your way is the only way you’ll come across as pig-headed which won’t help you gain respect. Be open to changing the way you do things for maximum respect points.

Here is the article in full which goes into a lot more detail. It’s really relevant and interesting for anyone who’s concerned with personality types and success as a leader.

The Entrepreneur - How to gain respect.


I know that I’m among company of some highly successful people in their industry, so I wanted to ask if you agree with this? Do you think you need any specific personality traits to be respected, or is it as simple as just being good at what you do? Can respect be taught? What do you do that you think makes people respect you?

Very interested on hearing your thoughts