Commanding respect is when you show others why you must be respected. This is different from demanding respect where you tell others that you must be respected. People who command respect are people you want to be around.
Being able to command respect results in good things like being able to have a harmonious relationship with the people you work with or you are in a relationship with. Respect is important because it makes you feel safe and makes you trust people. A respectful environment enables you to talk to each other without shouting. It enables you to have a healthy environment, whether at school, church, or home.
Respect could be shown when you are given free rein on your personal choices and you are confident about it. Remember to respect yourself first. Commanding respect starts with yourself. No matter how you value and respect yourself, there would always be people who would not do the same. Here are 13 ways you can do to command respect.
Treat others with respect
Respect begets respect. You cannot demand respect if you do not treat others with respect. If others are being disrespectful, it is advised that you still treat them with respect.
This does not mean you are being a pushover, this only shows that you are in no way degrading yourself or going down to their level. Show them that they have dignity. Whoever the person is, they must be valued.
Treating everyone with equal respect is important in every aspect of your life. This shows that you do not respect people because of their status but because they are human beings who deserve respect.
Listen to others and validate their contribution. When you show people that you appreciate their contribution that means you are not power-hungry and not a credit grabber.
Be proactive
Know what is coming up. Whether it is at home or school. It is important to know that there would always be tasks and projects that could impact the lives of others. Upcoming events that would suddenly happen means that others have to cancel their appointments to accommodate you.
This could have a huge impact on how others would see you. Nobody wants to cancel an appointment because of the sudden change of deadline. Things could happen, but that does not mean that it should be happening especially if it is human error.
Always reach out to people a few days ahead to inform them if there is any change in schedule or deadlines. Through this, they would be able to plan as well.
Do not ask people to cancel important events in their lives, like weddings, honeymoons, attending to sick family members just to meet your deadline. A little consideration with other people can sometimes do wonders not only in a workplace but also in a community.
Keep your word
Do what you say you will do. Keep your promises. People respect those they can trust. If you keep your word, that only shows that you are reliable, dependable, and trustworthy.
There are instances where you might forget what you promised. That is natural, you cannot remember everything you said. Do not keep on repeating the same action as this might be conclusive of the kind of person you are.
Be organized. This means keeping a tab of those important events in your life and the things you have promised someone. Finish tasks on time and clarify what you intend to do.
This way, it will not create confusion so you can fulfill what you intend to do on time and attend to other tasks you promised to do. If you are not able to fulfill the task you are supposed to do, make sure you will be honest with the reason. Avoid making excuses. Aside from the fact that it is not good to hear it, people would start doubting you.
Stop gossiping
Trust is a keyword in respect. When you gossip, that only shows that you are not to be trusted with other people’s secrets. It shows your insecurity.
People would not want you sharing the information they shared. Avoid gossiping. Avoid people who gossip. If the information you are sharing will harm others then just keep quiet about it.
Gossip can ruin other people. It can heavily damage their reputation. If you hear gossip about other people, do not judge them. Avoid sharing the gossip you hear from others.
If you gossip people would start doubting the information you share. They will no longer trust you even if you are telling the truth and you will be losing credibility.
Do not be too nice.
When you became too nice, people will think that they can push you around. You will start attracting needy people who will pretend to respect you because you are being nice to them.
It is not respect that you will get when you become too nice, instead, you will be attracting people who will only come to you because they need you. Having to deal with difficult people all the time will stress you out and you might develop behaviors to cope up with stress.
Nice people are difficult to find in this world. Being too nice might raise suspicion on others. They might start thinking you have ulterior motives.
So being too nice does not command respect as people would start to avoid you. While being nice is good, it should be done out of necessity only and not to the extreme.
Be humble
Being humble does not mean you bow down to others. It is more of being accepting. It is gaining control of our ego. This does not mean that you do not have self-confidence and allow people to take advantage of you.
This is more of knowing who you are and not minding how the world sees you. Being humble gives you the desire to learn.
When you are humble you are open to criticism. This proves you know yourself. You know where you need to work to be a better person. Through this, you start to influence others and you get more done. People would feel comfortable with you but you will not feel boastful instead, you will be grateful and you will remain grounded.
Spend more time with people who respect you.
Show appreciation for those who are respecting you. Spending time with them only shows that you know they respect you and you are grateful for that. When you spend time with them, show how important they are, not only to you but also to other people.
Do not be boastful of the respect they show you or else they will feel uncomfortable and that will lead them doubting about the respect they give you. Instead, when you are with them, make sure they feel safe and comfortable.
People must be able to talk freely to you about their opinion or suggestion. When you spend time with them, make sure you get to know them, not only professionally but also personally, When you show interest in other people, they will start to open up more with you.
A healthy environment would be the result when people are starting to be more open about what they are expecting so discussions and not arguments will happen.
Be open-minded
You see more of the things around you. That is what being open-minded is. This means you will not be judging others.
People will be more open to you knowing that you keep an open mind to the opinion and suggestions of others. You will have less stress since you keep an open mind about what is to come.
You will also not be manipulated. So gossip will not affect you. People will respect you for being able to listen to them. You will also have fair judgment since you can easily weigh on issues since you do not easily jump to conclusions.
Help others
It connects you to others easily. This shows that you are not insecure with others achieving.
When we help others, we create stronger bonds, and the people you help will understand that you are someone they can rely on. Being a reliable person would naturally earn respect.
Being a genuine person for being able to help others boost morale and confidence. It also helps you give a positive impact on others. It shows them that even if you are competing for a promotion, it is fine to help others since you are doing that for the greater good.
Ask for help when you need it
This creates a better relationship. This only shows that you are the person who wants to improve for the better. The person you ask for help from will feel important. This means that you are accepting that you do not know everything.
Showing other people you are vulnerable shows that you are courageous and that is something that people would respect. Asking for help is a very rare trait and very few people are open to the idea of asking for it.
Stop apologizing
If you keep on apologizing, people would start thinking you are not confident. It starts annoying people and it loses the impact of future apologies. People would stop respecting you.
To avoid constantly apologizing, be more self-aware. Know the things you should apologize for. If it is a situation you do not have control of, you need not apologize for it.
If you are the reason something happens and you need to apologize for it then you have to do that. This commands respect since people would see that you apologize for things that matter.
Admit to your mistakes
If it is your fault then you have to admit your mistake. Taking responsibility for your actions and facing the consequences commands respect since it shows your integrity.
Besides, there is no point denying your mistake, some people had already seen it. When you deny it, you lose your credibility.
People do not like people with no credibility and integrity. People would stop following you and you will no longer have a harmonious relationship with others.
Admitting your mistake build trust. They see you as someone who shows people your real self. Someone who is not afraid, to tell the truth.
Strive to do better
You are constantly developing yourself. You are open-minded, hard-working, and hate wasting time. This just shows that you compete with yourself and not with others.
You know you can continue to do better and for that, you continue to do self-improvement. You are showing people what they can also do.
You command respect when you strive to do better. This means you want to achieve more and you want to be a better person. For the people you work with, your family, community members, and others. This behavior is contagious and not only does it exude confidence but also positivity.