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Six Ways Leaders Inspire Respect

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The Law of Respect

People naturally follow leaders stronger themselves. Great things are accomplished because of that. John Maxwell calls this The Law of Respect and it’s a powerful force. It doesn’t rely on age, experience or resources. All it takes is a great leader who is willing to speak up.

Ryan’s Story

Canadian hero, Ryan Hreljac, was six years old when he began to inspire the respect of a leader. In school, he’d learned about how difficult it was for many people in Africa to access clean water, and he wanted to help. His parents paid him for doing household chores and he diligently saved the money, but it wasn’t enough. Since he’s a leader, he didn’t stop there. He began reaching out to clubs and schools and anyone who would listen. Because he was sincere and inspired confidence, he gained respect. People wanted to help. Within a year he raised $2000 and the money was used to drill his first water well in Uganda.

After that initial success, respect for his leadership continued to grow. The more he talked to people, the more they wanted to help. When the Canadian International Development Agency learned about his efforts, they decided to match $2 for every $1 he raised. Within two years, he raised $61,000—more than 30 times the money he raised in his original effort. Ryan’s Well Foundation continues this good work today. To find out more about this inspiring story, watch When Passion Meets Vision: The Ryan Hreljac Story.

Respect Is Exponential

What might we accomplish if we could all match the growth rate of Ryan Hreljac’s leadership? Respect is exponential. Do not take its power lightly.

John Maxwell describes The Law of Respect in his book, “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”. He gives us the Top Six Ways Leaders Inspire Respect:

Natural Leadership Ability: Leaders have a confident personality. When they see something that needs to be done, they gather the people and resources to make it happen.
Respect for Others: Leaders give sincere praise. They follow the maxim suggested by Thomas Pain, “Give to every human being every right that you claim for yourself.”
Courage: Sometimes leaders have to say what is difficult to hear. Sometimes they need to look for a new way of doing things. But their clarity of vision gives them the courage to keep doing what needs to be done.
Success: Leaders take each success and use it to increase results. Anyone watching is drawn to their side. We all like to support efforts built on the solid foundation of previous success.
Loyalty: Leaders express sincere gratitude. They are devoted to their team and they never lose sight of the needs of those they lead. This makes them trustworthy, which is the ground rock of respect.
Value to Others: Leaders always listen more than they speak. They don’t just say they care; they show it. As Mitch Albom says, “This is how you start to get respect: by offering something that you have.”