Be a Respectful Leader

Respect is a cornerstone of effective leadership.

A leader without the respect of their team members dulls their impact and ultimately delivers subpar results. A culture where disrespect is evident is toxic.

Building a culture of respect in an organization is essential in order to optimize performance. Recognizing that all people are worthy and deserving of respect is a crucial component.

Here are some key concepts for building a culture of respect.

• Accept people as individuals. Embrace individual differences and encourage authenticity.
• Communicate with people throughout the organization on a human level. Get to know people on the team.
• As a leader, show respect for everyone and don't be dismissive of others.
• Show people you genuinely care about them. Lend a helping hand whenever possible.

Are you a respectful leader? Ask yourself these key questions.

• Do I connect with people on my team on a human level?
• Do I 'talk down to' or demean people?
• Do I show that I genuinely care for them?
• Do I accept people for who they are?
• Am I consistent with how I treat people on the team?
• Do I have a habit of canceling meetings last minute or do I behave in other ways that make people feel 'less than'?

Creating a culture of respect fosters better communication and engagement, leading to better business outcomes. More importantly, showing others respect should be a cornerstone of your leadership style and how you 'show up' both as a leader and as a human being.

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Troy Jacobson is a Business Coach and Leadership Trainer. In addition to leading Vistage CEO groups in Tucson (www.tucsonceogroup.com ) he also provides corporate leadership training programs. (www.jacobsonleadershipacademy.com )