8 Ways to Command Respect

Respect is one of the virtues every individual looks up to, irrespective of gender, age or community one happens to fall into. Everyone feels good when they are respected and valued.

Everyone wants to get the respect they deserve in schools, religious gatherings, social gathering and also in organisation of interest.

However respect could come naturally or you work for it. Not everyone who demands respect is worth it, as respect is not to be demanded but rather commanded.

Before we dig down to 8 ways to command respect, here are key things you will find in this article;

• Definition of Respect.
•  Meaning of commanding respect.
• Can I demand respect.?
• 8 ways to command respect

 What is the meaning of Respect?

According to Wikipedia,Respect, also called esteem, is a positive feeling or action shown towards someone or something considered important or held in high esteem or regard. It conveys a sense of admiration for good or valuable qualities. It is also the process of honoring someone by exhibiting care, concern, or consideration for their needs or feelings.

Looking at the above definition by Wikipedia, you could observe that respect does not just come to an individual , there must be some level of qualities, achievement and charisma that makes one to be highly regarded which is also seen as respect.

High level of success can attract respect. Admiration also can bring about respect, but however no matter the case, forcing things out is not the right approach to commanding respect which is why we have organized 8 practical ways you can follow to see people respect you naturally without demanding for it.

What does it mean to command respect?

Commanding respect is a gradual process whereby people get to Respect you because of who you are, what you have done , what you do and your style of relationship with them.

In this manner, you do not demand for it. The respect comes due to the regards people have for you, their admiration of your personality and also your level of achievement.

In summary, to command respect means setting up a humanitarian , diplomatic standard with a high sense of discipline and conviction that you are consistently known for.

In commanding respect, how you relate to people matters.your communication and social skills plays an important role and then your achievement and exposure follows.

Can I demand for Respect?

Respect is not meant to be looked for or demanded for. There should be some qualities in you that attract respect naturally without forcing or playing for it. 

If you are demanding respect, then maybe you do not necessarily deserve the respect because people should only respect you because they feel you deserve it and not you telling them you deserved to be respected.

Your charisma in your company can bring about respect. Your success stories can command respect. Your personality and how you treat others counts on if people will respect you or not.

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8 ways to command respect

1.Respect others.

2.Be trustworthy

3. Posses a good social skills

4.Have a stable conviction.

5. Slow to Criticism

6. Attend Success

7. Be Inspiring

8. Control your emotions

1.Respect Others

Handshaking (image credit:wikiHow)

We grow up to the very famous quote that says, " Respect is reciprocal". You might have come across this quote in one way or the other. Other people want to be respected just the same way you feel to be respected.

Now a very good and basic step of trying to command respect is learning and also forming the habit of respecting others not minding who you are or perhaps who they are.

Respecting other people also brings respect to you. It is a balanced equation. Respect for others goes beyond positions in an organization, you must have respect for people's happiness, opinion, culture , religion and some certain beliefs.

As a matter of fact the best and bigger side of respect you command, comes from people you regard irrespective of their classes or standard.

Here are some helpful tips on how to tender respect to people.

 i.Listen

ii.Render help

Ii.Consider their opinion

Iv.Respect their privacies

V.Exchange pleasantries.

I. Listen

Everyone and anyone wants to be heard while talking. One of the amazing ways of showing that you regard people is by giving them your attention.

A good listening skill is necessary if you want to express respect to people. People love it when you listen to them, how you are so focused in listening to the expression of their feelings. With this , they will have respect for you and regard you with high esteem.

II.Show Kindness

Another way of showing respect to people is by assisting them. It could be financially, materially or whatever way. The most important thing here is rendering help. This will not just command respect for you, but also helps establish a good relationship with people.

People you help will always respect you. They will have regards for you and would not hesitate to reciprocate the same if they are capable. So if you are looking forward to commanding respect, then learn to help people, provide assistance to those in need in your capacities.

III. Consider people's opinions.

This does not necessarily mean you should consider or put into action every junk from every dick and Harry.

The point we are trying to make here is that, do not disdain or overlook people's views, ideas, suggestions and opinions in a haste.

Always find time to have a thorough look on peoples ideas , analysis and come up with good decisions. Do not make people feel their opinions do not always count. Considering their ideas is a major boost to their confidence, which will also encourage them to come up with more ideas and also prove that you value them .

As the boss or the head in your establishment, take note of this point and respect will come from your team.

IV . Respect people's Privacy

Staying off and not forcing yourself into people's Privacy is a sign of respect you have for them. If you must command respect, then you must also learn to respect people's Privacy.

V. Exchange pleasantries

When you form a good and cordial relationship with people, it paints a very good picture of who you are. 

Greeting people or checking up on them means you really care. It means you value them and their wellbeing is important to you. People you show this kind gesture upon will always admire and respect you.

Key takeaways

Commanding respect begins with how much regard and the same respect you have for others.

Respect others by listening to them, staying off their privacy, rendering help, considering their opinions and maintaining a good mutual relationship.

2. BE TRUSTWORTHY

Trustworthiness is one the qualities you need to possess if you must command respect. Trustworthiness is a high level of confidence, reliability, honesty and sensibility people have towards you. It is a level of trust that cannot be compromised.

What is your profession?What are you known for? Do people trust you on what you do? Are you reliable ? Can you be recommended?.Do you deliver on time?.

These are some of the standards of measurement you should use to ascertain yourself if you are truly trustworthy.

To command respect, people must build at least some level of trust in you.

Key takeaways;

To be trustworthy, you need to work on your self discipline. Self discipline will help you offer your service with professionalism which will lead to an accurate, timely and reliable delivery of products or services.

When people begin to build their trust in you , it gives you an edge over others and boom respect comes.

3. POSSESS A GOOD SOCIAL SKILLS

Social skills are very necessary if we must interact and communicate effectively with people. These are skills needed for our daily endeavours. It could be in social gathering, academic , political or religious gatherings. These skills involve good listening habits, sharing, making new friends, effective communications and social discussions. 

It also involved being sensitive to the environment and nonverbal communications. You must be very effective and possess good social skills if you want to command respect.

This will guard you on how to relate with people for the first time, people of different religious and social backgrounds.

4. HAVE A STABLE CONVICTION

Would it make sense if you put up an impression that you don't party or maybe perhaps, even convince your colleagues that you do not party, and then on one of the weekends,You are being spotted in the club dancing and drinking alcohol

Next time you want to acclaim anything about yourself, you will definitely not be taken seriously because you are not consistent in your personality.

I have Heard people say countless times, " I respect him/her because he/she is a man/woman of his/her words".

Conviction is what we solidify our beliefs and personality on. It is what we stand for as far as a particular subject or area is concerned. It could be our beliefs on life issues and how we view and understand some certain things.

Everyone has their own personal conviction in one way or the other, but are you consistent in your conviction?.Having a consistent conviction commands respect because people will also know your stand or what you stand for.

5. BE SLOW TO CRITICISM

Image credit: powton

Criticism is the act of pointing out or stating out errors, areas of imperfections and also making necessary corrections on one's project, tasks or perhaps behaviour.

As much as critics have a way of making one work of improvement, if not properly handled or followed , it can lead to depression and discouragement.

If you must command respect ,you must be slow to Criticize people's work, project or idea. 

Appreciation, encouragement and good merit needs to come before criticism. You must first of all make one feel that he/she did not actually waste his/her time just to receive critics.

Instead of criticizing bluntly, first appreciate the individual effort and point out the necessary corrections in a very friendly manner and then encourage the individual to work on improvement.

6. ATTEND SUCCESS

An award ( image credit:Pexel)

One of the things that brings respect to you is your level of achievement. People respect and give regards to those who have reached some levels of success in whatever areas.

To command respect, you must be an achiever. It could be financial achievement, career or professional achievement. These will boost the level of respect people have for you.

To attend Success in whatever area, you must be disciplined, determined and focused on what you do. Working hard and Smart plays a major role too.

So before looking forward to commanding respect, you need to revisit your achievement list. What have you acquired? What have you achieved and what impact does your personality have on people?

7. BE INSPIRING

Good number of people will respect you if you inspire them. Do people run to you for counseling and advice? Are they motivated by your words? Do they long to be like you? If the answer is yes to these questions, then you are likely going to command respect.

No one would disrespect an individual who inspires and motivates him or her. So in this case, you must possess the qualities and the skills of inspiring people if you Must command respect.

Your relationship with people can inspire them, your manner of communication, approaches, and how you tackle situations can also directly or indirectly inspire others and earn you Respect.

8. CONTROL YOUR EMOTIONS.

Finally but not the last on the list, you can command respect by working hard in controlling your emotions. This is somehow difficult to practice , but trust me this alone will earn you massive respect.

Controlling your emotions means having total control of what you feel or feeling inside. This involves not expressing or exhibiting the emotions.

Controlling our emotions can save us from troubles, disasters and heartbreak.

The emotions could be anger or high temperament, putting this under control, makes people regard you,though it is not that easy to put our emotions under control.

Apart from the anger scenario, emotions come in different forms, it could be how we are feeling for someone or something. The goal is to put the totality of our emotions under control.

SUMMARY

Respect is regards, value , admiration, consideration and reverence we have towards something of someone. Commanding respect as an individual involves process and possession of qualities. Respect is earned and not demanded for. However we must always understand that to command respect , we must reciprocate the same.

Hope this article was useful. We would love to hear your views and suggestions in the comment section.

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