Without respect there is no trust.

That is why respect is such an important element of leadership.

Respect cannot be demanded. It must be earned, just like leadership capital must be earned. And as difficult as it can be to earn respect it can easily and quickly be eroded, if not erased, by careless behaviors, attitudes, and words.

Respect is also considered to be one of the cornerstones of team engagement. Nothing evaporates intrinsic desire like being disrespected.

Respect is defined as:

1. A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
2. Due regard for the feeling, wishes, rights, or traditions or others.

Respect is demonstrated in how we treat not only people, but places and things as well.

Respect is different from dignity in that respect must be earned, while dignity is something that is inherent in our humanity.

In his blog, 6 Transformative Benefits of Respect in the Workplace (https://blog.bonus.ly/6-transformative-benefits-of-respect-in-the-workplace), Johnny Duncan, author and consultant, claims that over half of employees don’t regularly get respect from their leaders. He points out that a simple act like saying good morning is “showing respect for another person, not just by greeting them, but by simply acknowledging that they exist.”

People deserve to be valued and not diminished. Saying good morning is a simple way of showing another person that you value them. In the same way saying please and thank you also conveys value. Simple behaviors that self-absorbed people, including many leaders, feel are unnecessary or beneath them.

Johnny Duncan points out that respect for others in the workplace provides at least six transformative benefits:

1. Higher Job Satisfaction
2. Increased Employee Engagement
3. A Fairer Environment
4. Stress Reduction
5. Better Knowledge Sharing [and Collaboration]
6. Enhanced Bottom Line

Duncan says, “With respect in the workplace, the workplace becomes a blessing, not a burden. Respect replaces jealousy with joy, backstabbing with pats on the back, and harassment with high fives.”

Showing respect involves appropriate behaviors as it relates to people, places, and things.

Lisa Quast, former Forbes Leadership Contributor, shares some suggestions for earning respect in the workplace (https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2012/02/27/r-e-s-p-e-c-t-how-to-earn-respect-at-work/#6eec9a5d5749):

• Use active listening skills – really listen and hear what people are saying.
• Treat others with dignity and courtesy at all times.
• Keep all your commitments – and never make a commitment you can’t keep.
• Be patient with people; realize that most people want to do what’s right.
• Treat others as they would like to be treated; in other words, learn to flex your social style so you can work better with others.
• Don’t state your opinions unless you can back them up with data. And be sure you fully understand the situation before you comment on it.
• Be sincere.
• Be generous.
• Be humble.
• Be confident, but exhibit confidence without arrogance.

To be a great leader is to be aware of your behaviors and the respect that they convey, or not. That is why great leaders do not rely on their own awareness and seek the observation and perspective of others. We all have blind spots, but great leaders avail themselves of as many mirrors as possible to do everything in their power to maintain a high respect environment and culture.

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.