Earning Respect From Your Team Members

3 tips to follow

As a leader, you can’t expect quality work and dedication from team members unless there is a collective sense of respect amongst the team. Many leaders struggle to earn genuine respect from team members because they try to obtain rather than earn respect. These leaders compromise productivity, morale, and retention. 

So, how do successful leaders earn genuine respect from team members? Leaders earn respect by showing respect toward others. Here are three effective, productive acts of respect that will help you to earn greater respect from your team members. 

Once you have accepted a meeting request, make it a top priority to arrive on time for the meeting. The action of arriving a bit early shows your appreciation and respect for the meeting organizer, the group, the content, and the purpose of the meeting. This sets the tone for a deep sense of mutual respect and engagement amongst the group. The team will be more likely to value your point of view, direction, and feedback when you show up on time. When leaders arrive late, focus and productivity are compromised. The meeting organizer and group become frustrated or even discouraged. A leader that arrives on time or early sets a positive tone for the meeting and sends a signal of respect for the meeting team and the purpose. 

Commit to showing up on time by reviewing and organizing your calendar for the following day each night to set expectations for yourself and others. Intentionally schedule and accept meetings. If you do need to cancel a meeting or show up late, give the meeting organizer as much notice as possible. Review your schedule each morning to review how your day will flow and to feel prepared. Finally, make sure to set reminders on your calendar to make sure to arrive on time and honor your commitments to others. Respect people by respecting time. Take the lead in starting each meeting with a positive, productive tone by showing up on time. 

Another practice that is challenging for busy leaders is to practice presence. Presence means that you are fully focused on the task at hand, or fully present in the moment. In the case of an interaction or meeting, presence means that you are fully engaged in the conversation or meetings rather than multitasking or splitting your focus. This is easier said than done when managing multiple projects, interacting with many people, and responding to new requests. It’s also challenging given that our computers and phones are sources of constant distraction that prompt us to split our focus. Despite these challenges, the best leaders stand out and foster relationships full of respect by practicing presence. By practicing presence in a conversation or a meeting, you send a signal that you value and respect the other person and the work at hand. 

The key to practicing presence is to intentionally choose a single focus on where to place your attention for a given period of time. Multitasking is the antithesis of presence. Before you enter a meeting or a conversation, state the intention or purpose to yourself. Then, set boundaries to cultivate the conditions for presence. Get personal distractions out of the way before committing to a conversation or entering a meeting. Turn off the tech and put your phone away. Though you might feel the need to be in more than one place at a time, others can feel when you’re not present and focused on the task at hand. If you commit to a meeting, be at the meeting and commit to placing your focus solely on the meeting. If you are in a conversation with a team member, commit to fully listening to them and to making the conversation connected and effective. Intentionally make and retain eye contact instead of looking at your notebook or your phone. Lack of eye contact sends a signal to the other person or the group that they do not have your full attention. Practice presence to make greater progress and cultivate connections full of genuine respect. 

Leaders that verbally commit to doing something and don’t actually follow through by taking action, lose respect quickly. Lack of follow through sends a signal that the work is not important and that the team is misaligned. This also sets a bad example for others on the team. It’s impossible to make progress without building a team culture that values action-oriented follow through. This value comes from action on the part of the leader. Many leaders find themselves committing to more than they can realistically handle themselves. Leadership is a lot about self-awareness. Leaders must walk the talk. 

How do you hold yourself accountable for following through? Before making a commitment or signing up to do something, look at your work plate. Be realistic with yourself about how much you can accomplish in a given period of time. Make intentional commitments with realistic timelines. Once you commit, put it in writing. Write it down on your to-do list and write it down in an e-mail to your team or leader. Committing in writing is a powerful way to reinforce your accountability to yourself and others. Make a plan of action that will allow you to complete the task or project on time. Practice proactive communication with others to keep them updated on the status of commitment. Delegate and ask for help proactively when you sense that you need it in order to follow through according to the specifications agreed upon. A leader that practices follow through and proactive, clear communication cultivates trust with others. Real trust is a foundational component of respect. Trust is built by practicing proactive, transparent communication and by honoring commitments. 

Which of these practices could you implement this week in order to earn greater respect from your team members? By showing respect for others, you will gain respect in return. These three practices require intentional action on the part of a leader. The best leaders don’t force respect but earn it through action that fosters connection and collective progress.