It’s simple! To earn more respect from others, you need to learn to give respect first. Being respectful of others is vital to your future success. Become known for the respect you give to others.
Although when you hear it, earning respect sounds simple, but putting it into practice becomes complicated. Respect is earned by respecting both yourself and others. Your ability to earn respect can have an impact on your emotional happiness.
Gaining respect does not happen overnight. It requires effort.
Here’s a comprehensive list of things you should do to earn more respect from others:
- Give respect to earn it. Respect works 2-way. If you want to earn respect, you need to give respect. People will treat you the way they are treated. So, treat everyone with respect. Even the homeless person begging for change on the street deserves respect. A wealthy philanthropist who wanted to give away money enlisted the help of a homeless man. The homeless man gave hundred dollar bills away to people who acknowledged him while sitting on the street with a sign asking for help. Their respect towards him earned them an unexpected monetary gift.
- Respect yourself. Always think about the consequences of your actions. If you don’t treat yourself with respect, don’t hope to get respect from others. So, love yourself for what you are. And you will see love and respect from others come subsequently.
- Be consistent. Say whatever you mean. Mean whatever you say. People generally trust and believe those who are consistent in their approach. Be consistent in whatever you say and do. People don’t trust other people who are wishy-washy.
- Practice humility. Know that you will not be the best and you are not always right. Each person will teach you something. Confidence lies in being humble and knowing that each person has something unique to offer. Admit your flaws, but avoid constantly focusing on your shortcomings. Be humble, but maintain your self-confidence and self-assurance.
- Be honest. People respect those who are honest and trustworthy. Remember and practice the old saying; honesty is the best policy.
- Be positive. People are always attracted to positivity. They respect optimistic people and love being around positive people. You can feel the good vibes of a positive person.
- Be well-mannered. Good manners are always respected. So, make sure to practice them. Please and thank you goes a long way.
- Be helpful. Always help people who are struggling. Whether they accept your help or not is secondary, but they will always remember you for offering help. Being self-less is always a good quality to have. Lend a hand to your fellow human-being.
- Be authentic. Avoid the temptation to do something that doesn’t feel or sound good. Authenticity is always respected. Be your authentic self.
- Prioritize your life. Identify the most important things in your life and make them your priority. People who know their priorities are respected by others. Make a list of your priorities and refer to them often.
- Always have a moral code. What is it that you stand for? What is it that you truly believe in? When you have your own principles and values, you know what kind of person you want to be and are not afraid of any judgment. Alexzander Hamilton said, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.”
- Stand up for what you believe in. Don’t be someone who simply agrees with whatever others say without giving it much thought. People respect those who stand up for what they say and believe in. Don’t follow the masses. Rather follow what you know to be right.
- Speak your mind. People respect you when you have a mind of your own and are not afraid to speak your mind. People with strong opinions and ideas are respected by others. So, voice your opinions and share your ideas whenever needed. Being outspoken is an admirable quality when you are speaking up for a just cause.
- Speak up for yourself. It is not always easy to speak up for yourself, so those who can speak up for themselves are held in high regard by others. It is good to be diplomatic, but don’t be silent when someone is mistreating you or taking advantage of you. Don’t be timid or allow bullies to push you around.
- Stand up for someone else. Stand up when you see injustice around. If you want to earn more respect, stand up for people who cannot stand up for themselves. Do not avoid confrontation, but do it in a respectful manner. Be a voice for the voiceless. Civil rights activist Bayard Rustin said, “Speak truth to power.”
- Keep your word. Take your commitments seriously. Honor your promises and commitments. Never take them lightly. Also, try not to make too many promises as it will be difficult for you to keep all your promises. Don’t make promises that you can’t keep.
- Be trustworthy. Behave in a way that people can trust you and make sure never to break their trust. People who trust and are trusted are always respected. Don’t be a disappointment to those who believe in you.
- Respect others’ time. Respect other people’s time. Don’t keep anyone waiting. Don’t be late for appointments, get to the point fast, don’t waste other people’s time by talking about trivial things. Be prepared for meetings, interviews, and presentations, do your homework. Don’t show up unprepared and then waste someone’s time.
- Have control over your emotions. Regardless of the situation, you are in; you should make sure not to lose your cool and allow your emotions to take over. If you do, it will be difficult for others to look at you in a positive light. Say if you work in a stressful environment, stress may act as a trigger to lose your cool. Try to curb your instant reaction. Always make sure to maintain a level-head and talk to people in a calm and controlled manner. No one likes a hotheaded person. Take a deep breath and take a step back. Count to ten and relax. It’s not worth losing your cool.
- Monitor your use of I. Words matter. People usually tend to use “I” more when they feel that the people they are talking to are more powerful than them. When you use more “I” you are portraying that you are more powerful than the person you are talking to. This will make you earn less respect.
- Be proactive. Don’t appear to be needy. Take the initiative. Don’t wait for others to give you directions or come to your rescue when in trouble. Use your skills and knowledge to get things done and solve problems. Develop the habit of figuring out things on your own. Don’t be afraid of a challenge.
- Get out of your comfort zone. People respect those who take risks and face challenges head-on. Some of life’s biggest challenges help us to grow.
- Be good at your work. Become the go-to person. If you are really good at your work, your reputation will precede you. People will respect you for your work.
Stay up to date on the latest trends in your field. Be easy to work with.
- Share your skills. Be friendly and approachable. Share your knowledge and skills with others and help them achieve success. People will always respect you for helping them.
- Be professional. Avoid the use of off-color humor and inappropriate language. You have to be professional at work. Avoid getting drunk in office parties and creating a scene. It may affect your reputation. Remind yourself that even if it is held off-campus, it is, after all, a work-related party.
- Dress right. Make sure your clothes are clean, free of wrinkles, shoes are polished, and you look presentable. Clean your nails; trim your hair & beard, and make sure to practice oral hygiene. People will not respect you if they see that you do not care about your appearance. Having a grungy appearance isn’t cool.
- Set high standards. Always make sure to meet your goals. Set high standards for yourself and make sure to meet them every day. Review your goals regularly. Make adjustments as needed. Stay focused.
- Take responsibility. Take responsibility professionally and personally. Responsible people are respected by others. Never shirk your responsibility. If you make a mistake admit it.
- Be open to criticisms. Handle criticisms gracefully. People usually respect those who handle negative feedback well and turn them into something positive. Use the feedback to learn and grow.
- Don’t believe your negative self-talk. Avoid putting yourself down. When you encounter negative self-talk, don’t believe it. Do not forget your strengths and always learn from your mistakes. Be self-confident and know that embracing your failures and shortcomings and working on them will take you on the path to success.
- Own up to your mistakes. We are only human. When you make mistakes, own up to your mistakes. Admit it when you are wrong. This shows people that you are confident and humble. And people generally respect this.
When you make mistakes, apologize by saying “sorry.”
- Be open-minded. When you are open-minded, you are open to others’ ideas. Avoid being close-minded. This makes people respect you. They would want to work with Also when you acknowledge that you have much to learn and you continue to learn from people around, it helps you grow your knowledge.
- Be grateful. Be grateful for all that you have in your life. It will help you become down-to-earth and humble. Humility is an admirable quality. Gratefulness is usually respected.
- Seek feedback. When you seek feedback about your work, you are showing people that you don’t think you are perfect and that you are looking to improve and grow. Talk with your supervisor and learn how you can improve. Get a mentor who can offer their expertise and advice.
- Give feedback. Giving occasional constructive feedback from time to time will show people that you are committed to helping everyone around. However, avoid being negative.
- Learn to say no. Avoid taking on too much at one time. Otherwise, you risk spreading yourself too thin. Don’t feel guilty when saying no to people. Know that you don’t need to agree with everything that people demand from you. At times saying no will earn you respect than agreeing to things. When you say no you are portraying that you are not afraid to admit that you don’t have time for everything and anything. Make sure to say it gently but firmly.
- Be stubborn when needed. People respect those who refuse to compromise or change, despite criticisms. Also, know when to compromise and give in a little.
- Be firm but fair. When you are concise and firm in your words, there is no room for misunderstanding. People who are firm in their approach are respected by others.
- Care about the people around you. Avoid being selfish. Stop focusing on yourself and start caring about people around you. Genuinely show concern and care about people when they need it.
- Remember nice small details about people. Everyone enjoys a little attention and be genuine. Notice little details about people like their kid’s names, their pet’s name, or details about their last vacation. Ask them questions about those things. This will make them feel special, and it will also show that you took the time out to remember about them and you overall care about them.
- Be considerate. Accept others’ viewpoints and know that every opinion is valuable. Encourage others to offer their opinions.
- Acknowledge people. Acknowledge and greet people with a warm smile. Take the time out to ask them how they are doing? When you ask them about their lives, it makes them feel special. They will always respect you for making them feel good. Author H. Jackson Brown Jr. wrote, “People may not remember what you said, but they always remember how you made them feel."
- Praise people for their work. When you praise people for their work, you are encouraging them to work harder. Encourage them and offer incentives if you are in a leadership role. Even if you want to criticize them, combine it with praise for what they are doing well. Avoid blaming people for their mistakes publicly and offer solutions and steps to be taken to prevent mistakes in the future.
- Have patience with others. Know that people have different levels of learning and they adapt to new tasks and jobs accordingly. Hence, have patience with people and praise them when they master each step of their new assignments. When you have patience with people, you show them that you have confidence in them. Avoid yelling and being condescending, and people will respect you for that.
- Listen to others. Avoid talking all the time. Listen carefully to people. Don’t talk over others and interrupt them. Genuinely take an interest in people and listen carefully to what they have to say. It will help you understand them better. Also, taking a moment before speaking up will always make others respect you.
- Add value. Focus on adding values to others. By adding value to others lives, you also add value to your own. Basically, it’s about adding something worthwhile to your community or to the world by offering a solution to a problem or helping others. When you add value to others’ life, they will respect you for that.
- Inspire others. Talk to people about your passions and goals without holding back. Be an inspiration to people around. Encourage others to follow their dreams and achieve their ambitions. Be a motivator for others.
- Stop apologizing. People who constantly apologize without even thinking much are usually not well-respected. Apologize when needed. Stop apologizing for trivial things. This behavior will reduce your credibility.
- Avoid sharing whatever you are thinking. There is no need to share everything that you are thinking about. Share what is important. This will help you keep things simple, and people respect it when things are simple. Avoid being an open book. Know when self-disclosure is appropriate.
- Avoid gossiping. Respect people even if you don’t like them. If you have some issues with someone, discuss this with them. Don’t talk behind their backs. Act as if the person you are talking to is right there with you. Gossiping invites negativity. It puts you in a bad light and also hurts the person you are gossiping about. Avoid talking behind people’s back. Stay away from office gossip.
- Avoid being judgmental. People are judgmental, but try and avoid making judgments about people. A biblical phrase states, “Judge not, lest you be judged.”
- Avoid being too nice. Distinguish between being nice because you want to and being nice because you have to. Do not try to be nice to people all the time in order to earn more respect. Know that you cannot make everyone happy all the time. Certain times when you are too nice to people, they might think you are fake. Treat everyone the same. Be genuine and your authentic self.
- Don’t try to please everyone. At times trying to please everyone, you end up being true to none. Poet John Lydgate wrote, “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time.”