Ways to become the person everyone respects

In work, as in life, everyone wants to be respected.
Whether we seek it overtly or do it subconsciously, gaining the respect of others is a central motivator in the way we interact with our colleagues, friends and family.
Becoming a person that everyone respects can have wide-ranging benefits for your career. You are more likely to be promoted or be the beneficiary of new opportunities if you’re respected, compared to those who are viewed in a negative or less esteemed light.
But gaining respect does not come easily or automatically. It’s a trait that must be built up over time with a range of factors at play.
One of the key lessons for gaining respect – particularly if you’re in a new job or workplace – is to do a lot of listening. People who talk incessantly, especially about themselves, can quickly lose respect of their peers and colleagues. Listening intently to what someone is saying displays mutual respect, and has the added benefit of giving you a moment to carefully consider your response – and thinking before talking is another key lesson to earning respect!
Importantly, listening respectfully to others sets a baseline for the way others think of you. And once this baseline and platform of respect is established, you can start enacting some of the other important ways to gain respect.
Key tips include learning to say no, standing up for others, eliminating gossip from your conversations and following through on commitments you make.
Another vital way to gain respect is to get “on the front foot”.
This means being positive, proactive, and persistent with your ideas and goals in the workplace. Don’t wait for others to solve problems. When your colleagues and bosses see that you’re a self-starting go-getter who takes on new challenges, they’ll respect your initiative and willingness to tackle problems.
Combine all of these attributes – listening, leading, learning to say no and being proactive – and you’ll gain the respect of others. Just remember respect is a two-way street that is established in many ways over a period of time, and not just overnight.
You can inspire others by showing respect and by gaining it – the trick is to work at it every conversation and every action, every single day.