The Law of Respect

Definition of The Law

There are only a few situations in which people willingly follow a leader they consider weaker than themselves. Perhaps they respect the leaders reputation or past accomplishments. They might have respect for the chain of command. However, their willingness to follow won’t last forever.. Either they will follow unwillingly or stop following all together. People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves.

What makes strong leaders stand out to everyone else? What causes one person to respect and follow another? Consider the following five factors.

Natural Leadership Ability – Some people just have a greater capacity in this area versus other people. All leaders are not created equal. Some leaders just naturally standout in a crowd. So that we are clear, talent alone is not enough.

Respect For Others – Some leaders feel their role as a leader is to dictate to the group every detail. Many followers are not going to pay attention to this version of leadership. Leaders that people want to follow start by showing respect to others.

Courage – We will follow a person in the group that will take a stand for something.When you speak with courage and conviction, you gain respect from others in the group. When these types of leaders lead the charge, people will follow.

Success – It is hard to argue with a good track record. When you exhibit success or expertise in an area, others tend to follow. We want to be part of another’s success.

Loyalty – We live in an era of free agency, change, and transition – dedication is an asset. People will stay with you when you demonstrate that you can stick to a job even in hard times.

Do not overestimate the fact that you need to grow as a leader. People will not stay with you if there leadership capacity is greater than yours, especially if you are not growing. How do you fix this gap? Increase your own capacity to meet and exceed others around you. Why is this important? People will follow others that are stronger.