When something is not going the way you want, you’re prone to complaining. It’s a natural tendency of the mind, or should we say – the ego. You feel like your colleagues conspired against you. You see them together, but you’re not part of the herd. When you’re giving a presentation, you get the feeling they are not listening to you. When you’re giving specific instructions, they are not paying attention.
Here comes the truth: it’s not them; it’s you! Respect is not something you expect from other people. It’s something you deserve.
You know that person. He manages to get everywhere on time, and he impeccably fits into the organizational culture. You can’t define what it is, but there’s something about him that conveys confidence and makes you respect him.
We’ll give you few tips to help you become such a person.
- Be Credible
Whenever you’re asking the team to do something, tell them why. Explain the results you’ll all get from their efforts. When you’re trying to make a point, support it with facts, examples, and statistics. Don’t expect them to believe your words if you don’t show them they are true. When you gain authority that’s big enough, they will trust you without looking for evidence. If you’re still building that credibility, however, you’ll have to earn it.
- Whenever you’re preparing a presentation, support it with facts. The historical data of your organization gives you more than enough to work with. Analyze how a specific promotional project performed and why it attracted more audience than the previous ones. Show how a certain strategy led to results. Quantify those results! When you ask them to try harder, they will see why.
- Trust and Respect Them
Think of a great leader who deserved everyone’s respect? How do you think they earned that status? Of course it’s an authoritative figure with great knowledge and skills. You’ll notice something else: respected leaders also respect other people. They give to get back.
Let’s take Richard Branson as an example. “It should go without saying, if the person who works at your company is 100 percent proud of the brand and you give them the tools to do a good job and they are treated well, they’re going to be happy.”
- Treat every single member of your team with utmost respect. Never act like you’re superior to them. That’s not how authority is earned.
- Respect the people who are not in the room, too. Never talk about their mistakes if they are not present.
- Show your appreciation and don’t do it in a fake way. A simple birthday card shows you care for your employees and you respect their special moments.
Remember: you’ll get respect only if you take action first.
- Acknowledge Your Mistakes
You’re not perfect. No one is. Maybe you treated someone unfairly. Maybe you’re inclined towards a member of your team while neglecting the others. Maybe one of your most important projects failed. Maybe you yelled at someone when you had a really bad day.
If you notice that your employees are not happy, you should identify the reasons. Why did you do wrong? Find your mistakes, acknowledge them, and fix them. Saying you’re sorry will help you earn the respect of your team. They will see you’re just a human, like all of them. You make mistakes, but you have the nobility to fix things, leave the mistakes behind and lead the team forward.
- Share the Spotlight
When you achieve success, you know it’s not because of you and your great work. Of course you played a huge role in the process, but you can’t take full credit for the results. It’s an entire team that stands behind them. If you try to get full credit for the things they helped with, you’ll lose their respect. A respected leader always shares the spotlight.
This “humble” approach is important not only when you get credit for your work, but in daily situations, too. When you’re at a meeting and you’re the one speaking, talk as little as possible about yourself. Engage every member of the team in the discussion and notice their good ideas.
- Be a Human
Should leaders show emotion? That’s a very important question, and the answer is yes, but not too much. Try this method:
- When you’re disappointed or even angry about something, let them see it to some extent. You won’t be yelling, screaming, or insulting. You’re just showing dissatisfaction in a civilized manner. If you just keep it inside, you won’t be able to keep the team disciplined. If you show them where they are making a mistake and you sound convincing, you’ll earn their respect.
- Show them when you’re happy or excited about a project, but don’t go jumping around the office and hugging everyone. Just invite them to lunch and celebrate together with them.
A successful leader knows how to control emotions, but they are never hiding them. Showing them in a civilized manner is the key to earning respect.
The road to earning respect is bumpy. Some people are just cynical. They can’t handle authority, so they respect no one. Fortunately, when you’re a leader, you can either discipline them or hire someone who would fit better in the team. As for the respect of all others, you’ll have to work for it.
About the author:
Eva Wislow is a career coach and HR expert at Careers Booster resumes writing service. She is focusing on helping people break down their limits, find a dream job and achieve life and career success. Follow Eva on Twitter.
