This week the leadership trait to ponder is Respect. I was once facilitating some activities with an organization to determine the values of the company. Respect came out as the number one most requested value from the employees. Through some subsequent conversations, I discovered the reason it was so popular. It was because no one was feeling respected by the CEO or management.
The dictionary defines respect as: a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements; an act of giving particular attention. Below are some of my favorite quotes to help inspire and illustrate Respect. As you read these quotes, think about how you can exemplify this trait in your leadership activities.
Quotes on Respect
I speak to everyone in the same way, whether he is the garbage man or the president of the university.~Albert Einstein
Respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners. ~Laurence Sterne
Respect is what we owe; love, what we give. ~Philip James Bailey
Respect is one of the greatest expressions of love. ~ Miguel Angel Ruiz
How would your life be different if…You stopped making negative judgmental assumptions about people you encounter? Let today be the day…You look for the good in everyone you meet and respect their journey.” ~ Steve Maraboli
Respect yourself and others will respect you.” ~ Confucius
Always treat people as ends in themselves, never as means to an end.” ~ Immanuel Kant
When we treat people merely as they are, they will remain as they are. When we treat them as if they were what they should be, they will become what they should be. ” ~ Thomas S. Monson
If you want to be respected by others, the great thing is to respect yourself. Only by that, only by self-respect will you compel others to respect you.” ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky
What do you think about when you ponder Respect? Please share your thoughts in the comment section.
About Todd Nielsen
Moral and ethical respect, basic values for “walk in a straight line …”
in life in the profession and in business
cordially
Well said Raul. I concur!
When I first interact with someone, it is with a ‘carte blanche’ upon which they ‘plot’ their own engagement with me. It is their own behavior from then on that determines the level of respect they deserve to receive. I believe that for you to expect respect from another, you must respect yourself first.
I try and do the same Kimunya. It is amazing how many people judge others before they even get a chance to gain their respect. Everyone deserves a chance to earn another’s respect and not be dismissed.
No one should demand for respect, it should flow naturally!! Each time one demands for respect, it is an indication of something they are not doing and they are supposed to, or they are in a place they are not supposed to be.
I agree David. Respect is earned.