#LeadershipTuesdays: Respect...Annie Gottlieb

”Respect is an appreciation of the separateness of the other person, of the ways in which he or she is unique.”

—Annie Gottlieb

“R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Find out what it means to me
R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Take care, TCB
Oh (sock it to me, sock it to me
Sock it to me, sock it to me)
A little respect”

—Aretha Franklin


Every other Tuesday, womenatliberty.com provides a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage, and strengthen women leaders. Today’s feature focuses on the need for respect in our society and workplace.

Respect. A value forever immortalized in the lyrics and music of the late great Aretha Franklin is one of the most important values in a civil society. It is necessary for productive public discourse, private and workplace interactions, political debates and community protests. What should be the basic ingredient of all of our relationships is the thing that is most lacking in a lot of what we see displayed on television, at rallies, and in the workplace. We lack respect for different views and people who disagree with us.

Our leaders are tasked with changing this and not being complicit in encouraging the negative behaviors that are destroying our society. As a leader, you are required to set a tone of respect for everyone in the organization. There is never a good reason to disrespect someone no matter what they have or may have done. 

In today’s featured article, the author S. Chris Edmonds says, “Regardless of how society around them continues to accept divisive behaviors and polarizing personalities as normal, today’s and tomorrow’s employees expect good behaviors -- integrity, dignity and respect -- from their employer.”

Senior leaders must set the tone for respectful interactions and discourse. Respect must also be an organizational behavior that is highly valued and demonstrated by managers and employees. Things don’t just happen, people make them happen. Good values don’t just happen in an organization, good people create environments where good values are both demonstrated and practiced.

Read It's Time For Business Leaders To Put Good First. For more information on Leadership Tuesdays, check us out on Twitter: @LeadershipTues.