In 1967, soul singer Aretha Franklin had a massive hit song that spelled out the title over and over. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. It still reverberates on radios, in cars, and in arenas and music halls. Somehow, it struck a chord with people. You may be singing it in your head right now! It seems everyone wants respect.

Leadership guru John Maxwell, in his classic book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, named respect as one of the top qualities of a leader. Maxwell says people naturally follow leaders who are stronger than they are, regardless of the leader’s background or education level.

John Maxwell goes on to list six ways a leader gains the respect of others:

  1. Natural Leadership Ability – Yes, some people are just born with great skills and abilities to lead others. Yet every person, no matter where they start, can improve their ability to lead others. However, it doesn’t end there. You need more than just a great personality to be a true leader.
  2. Respect for Others – Good leaders understand that all who follow leaders do so voluntarily. The principle is simple. If you show respect for others, especially those who may have less power or lower position, you gain respect from others.
  3. Courage – Maxwell says good leaders do what is right, even at the risk of failure and in the face of criticism. A leader’s courage gives followers hope.
  4. Success – People respect other’s accomplishments. It’s hard to argue with a good track record. Those who follow want to be part of success in the future.
  5. Loyalty – This goes against the grain in our culture today, from top athletes to top CEOs. People hop from place to place and follow the money. Someone has said the average U.S. worker will change occupations ten times by the time they reach age thirty-six! Amazing. So, against this backdrop, loyalty becomes a virtue. As Maxwell puts it, “When leaders stick with the team until the job is done, remain loyal to the organization when the going gets rough, and look out for followers even when it hurts them, followers respect them and their actions.”
  6. Value Added to Others – When a leader adds to the value of those who follow them, they gain respect. And it is a respect that continues even beyond the job and when the relationship has ended.

The Apostle Paul, a great leader himself, offered additional advice to the Christians at Philippi on how to improve their ability to lead others in the faith.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Philippians 2:3-5 NLT

You gain respect by respecting those God has placed in your realm of influence and by seeing yourself and others as God does. The natural result will be that others will want to follow you as you give leadership with the same attitude and heart that Jesus showed.

God’s best,