Blog Re-post: Respecting the Leader or the Position: Part 1

I posted this entry last June, but thought it worthy to bring back for a re-visit. Part Two will come next Tuesday. Enjoy.

Every one of us, from time to time, have had to deal with the issue of respect, whether as a leader or a follower. For the next couple of days, I'm going to tackle this idea, first from the leader's perspective, and tomorrow from the the follower's perspective.

All leaders know there is value in having the respect of the followers, whether it be a teaching, volunteer, political or employment setting. Gaining the respect of those we lead is a valuable asset, because respect makes leading easier and requires less convincing to get "buy in" from the followers.

Respect is similar to trust in that it has to be earned, and can be lost in an instant. One major misstep will distroy the respect and trust that followers have for their leader. As such, it must be protected and nourished.

One good way to view respect (and trust) is as if it is a bunch of coins in your pocket. As you earn the respect of those you lead, they are giving you coins. When you lose respect, you are giving back those coins. The catch in this is that it is much easier to lose those coins than it is to gain them. It takes much longer to gain respect than it does to lose respect.

With that in mind, here are a few tips for leaders to gain the respect (and keep it) of their followers:

• Constantly work to increase the respect your followers have for you. This isn't about manipulation. Instead, it's about becoming trustworthy and honorable. No one respects a scoundril, but they do look up to someone who is honorable.
• Work on becoming humble. Arrogance is the enemy of respect.
• Be quick to listen and slow to speak. That will prevent you from sticking your foot in your mouth, and by default, losing respect. This becomes especially important during stressful moments when we are most vulnerable to anger.
• Don't be a jerk! A jerk demands that people respect them, because of who they are, not what they do. In the end, followers will respect the position the leader holds (if the leader is lucky), but not the person. In volunteer situations, chances are higher that the follower will ditch the leader and find something else to give their energy to.
• For what it's worth, the person in a leadership role who demands that people respect him isn't really a leader.
• The best way to secure respect is two-fold: 1) Let followers know that their input is valued and respected. 2) The leader should be quick to admit a mistake and ask forgiveness if he wrongs someone he leads.

Those are just a few ideas for leaders. Do you have any more? Let me know.