7 Things the Most Respected Leaders Do Every Day

Everyone wants to be respected and admired, but often we are afraid of being perceived as too aggressive or overly confident in our pursuit of own greatness.

While you can’t control other people’s opinions, you can always control your own actions. Respect takes time and effort—it’s not something you’re given but something you earn. Here are six top ways that the best leaders earn respect every day:

They first give respect. Respected leaders know you must show respect before you can earn respect. They treat everyone with courtesy and kindness; even when criticizing or giving feedback, they’re always considerate and compassionate. As the saying goes, people will forget what you said and they’ll forget what you did, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.

They keep their promises. If they tell you they’re going to do something, you know you can count on them to get it done. For a leader to become known as a person who can’t be trusted is one of the quickest ways to engineer a loss of respect. The best leaders are always aware that people are counting on them, and they do everything they can to deliver on their promises and earn the respect of their people.

They listen before speaking. The best leaders are typically the best listeners. Taking the time to listen instead of rushing in with an opinion shows that they’re confident in their leadership. It’s the insecure leaders who always have to speak first and signal that their thoughts are most important. Even in disagreement, everyone deserves to be heard—and a a true leader knows how to use listening, and silence, to their advantage.

They ask for help. Most people see asking for help is a sign of weakness, but respected leaders are secure enough to admit they need help and view asking as a sign of strength. I always tell my clients that vulnerable is the new strong. It’s a smart leader who asks for help to learn and grow.

They admit when they’re wrong. Most of us find it hard to admit when we’re wrong, but a respected leader is quick to say, “I messed up” or “I made a mistake” or “I was wrong.” It’s only the narcissistic, self-centered, egotistic leaders who they think they’re always right even when they are wrong—an attitude that costs them in respect.

They serve others. Respected leaders know that nothing great can ever be accomplished alone. At its core, leadership is about serving others and inspiring them to bring out their own greatness. Great leaders inspire others by empowering and serving them.

They appreciate others. The most respected leaders genuinely care about others and show admiration. These powerful traits show that they can see beyond themselves and have the emotional intelligence to celebrate others and boost the confidence and self-esteem of everyone around them. Leaders with a reputation for caring are among the most highly respected people anywhere.

Lead from within: The well-respected leader knows respect is hard to attain but easy to lose.

N A T I O N A L   B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness

After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.

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Additional Reading you might enjoy:

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• A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
• How to Succeed as A New Leader
• 12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
• 4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
• The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
• The Deception Trap of Leadership

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