What is respect?
Where does it come from?
What causes one person to have respect and not another?
Respect is “a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.” Respect means that someone has credibility. Respect for someone means that individual deserves to be listened to, not because it is required, but due to genuine appreciation for their words.
Respect must be earned, it is not given, even Urban Dictionary says so. You can only receive respect from others if it is deserved. You only earn respect with credibility. Tim Tebow echoes, “people respect us for the work we put in, not the title we have.”
Respect is earned by standing firm in the face of opposition. It is earned through hard work, even when others aren’t watching. It is earned through saying what needs to be said instead of fluffing your words to make someone feel good. Athletes respect their teammates who put in the rough hours to make themselves better. Employees respect the manager who is taking the time to make himself or herself better. Followers respect the leaders who are constantly learning.
Just because you are a manager, captain, or leader doesn’t mean that you have respect from those around you. A position does not guarantee respect and you don’t need a position of power for respect. People follow those who deserve and earn respect.
Look at any team. Whoever the members of that team listen to is who they respect the most. The person that people go to for advice. The person whom others want to be like. The person whom others follow without any hesitation. That is the person with respect. That may not be the person with a leadership title.
Respected people put others above themselves. They are there when others need them. They make those around them better. They don’t command respect for themselves, but they give respect to others where it is due. They care about the well-being of the group above themselves, but they know the better they are, the better the group will be.
Be someone who gives respect to those who deserve it. Be someone who earns respect from those around you. Put in the necessary work. Keep growing. Make those around you better. Don’t focus on a position.
I appreciate you.