Regardless of age, background, gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity, anyone can earn the respect of others by behaving correctly. Sure, it doesn't come suddenly, but by showing confidence, leadership skills, reliability, and kindness, you will be able to earn it over time. In addition to having these qualities, you need to be willing to respect people and - perhaps most importantly - also respect yourself so that you receive the same treatment.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Being a Leader
Step 1. Improve your communication skills
Address people cordially and involve your interlocutors. Learn to converse with ease, discussing various topics. Avoid vulgar and pedestrian language, but also use interjections or interlayers, such as "uhm" and "that is," to emphasize your speech.
- Communicating does not only mean speaking, but also listening. You won't show respect if you monopolize conversations. So, try to listen and pay attention when others are talking, showing that you are genuinely interested in order to gain their trust.
- Think before you speak.
Step 2. Check your emotions
In the most difficult situations, stay calm, keep talking in a calm and relaxed tone. Try to behave rationally instead of reacting on the wave of emotion. If you can, ease the tension and think for a few seconds before responding bluntly to provocations.
- Those who receive the respect of others know how to remain calm in moments of high tension.
- During an argument, stay calm to prevent the situation from escalating, and if someone raises your voice, respond calmly.
Step 3. Check your body language
Stand up straight, look the interlocutor in the eye, speak with a firm and measured voice: it is an attitude that indicates self-confidence and, consequently, those in front of you will be more inclined to respect you.
Conversely, by assuming a slouching posture, mumbling and showing fear of eye contact, you will communicate little confidence. Self-confidence plays a very important role when you want to receive people's respect
Step 4. Troubleshoot
When faced with a problem, don't react in the wake of emotion or show your frustration. Instead, focus on dealing with the situation and finding a way to deal with it. Avoid complaining and getting angry, as this will not solve anything.
When others see a person solving a problem calmly rather than reacting in anger and nervousness, they tend to admire the ability to keep a cool head and appreciate the readiness to remedy the situation
Step 5. Don't underestimate the outward appearance
Take care of your personal hygiene, also make sure you wear clean and tidy clothes. Take care of your appearance: trim your nails, shower every day, brush your teeth and floss.
- Typically, unkempt air communicates low self-esteem.
- If you don't respect yourself and don't care about your appearance, it will be very difficult to gain the respect of others.
Part 2 of 3: Stand Alone
Step 1. Try to say "no" more often
Many times people believe they earn the respect of others by overloading themselves with projects and responsibilities, but the reality is very different. You cannot accept every opportunity or request that is presented to you. By saying no, you will show that you value your time and focus more on the quality of the results than on the quantity.
- How you convey a message is just as important as the content of the message itself. Try to be polite and sincere, accompanying your rejection with a smile. It's not personal, but you simply don't have the time to complete further assignments.
- Don't feel guilty for saying no when you couldn't do otherwise. Rather, feel at peace with yourself that you have acted in your best interest.
Step 2. External your opinion
Whether it's an idea, a thought or an objection, don't be passive if you have something to say. Don't be afraid to express and share ideas and opinions even if it makes you a little nervous. People appreciate those who have the courage to say what they think.
- Avoid communicating in a passive-aggressive manner. Openly express your intentions and thoughts as long as you don't offend anyone.
- If you are not in the habit of speaking, improve your speaking skills by repeating what you want to say aloud.
- Expressing your opinions does not mean judging everything around you. Communicate your opinion in situations where it is relevant.
Step 3. Stop being too kind
You can be courteous without prostrating yourself at the feet of others. Nobody respects those who show themselves weak. You cannot please everyone nor do you have to try. If you allow people to take advantage of you because you are nice, you will show little assertiveness.
- Set boundaries so that others know how to deal with you. Be firm on your decisions.
- Furthermore, extreme affability can also be counterproductive because it causes others to see you as false and self-righteous.
Step 4. Stop apologizing
Only do it when you're wrong. Unfortunately, many people have a habit of apologizing for whatever reason, without even thinking about it.
- Apologize when appropriate.
- Stop taking the blame for every little thing that goes wrong.
Step 5. Defend yourself when you are mistreated
If someone takes advantage of it or treats you badly, don't resign yourself to putting up with it in silence. Show what you're worth. Defending yourself does not mean reacting by inveighing with the risk that the situation will degenerate. Instead, try to be courteous and polite.
- The idea of having to defend yourself can be scary, but people will respect you for it.
- When you speak, express yourself clearly: do not babble, do not hesitate and do not look at the ground with embarrassment. You have every right to be respected.
Part 3 of 3: Respect Others
Step 1. Keep your promises
If you commit to doing something, but don't get it done, others will think you are not serious. Keep your word and stop making promises you can't keep. By proving your trustworthiness, you will earn the respect of others. Behave in such a way that they can count on you.
Be honest and tell the truth when you don't know something
Step 2. Be on time
Whether it's an appointment, a meeting, a deadline, or replying to an email, being late can cause you to lose the respect of others because they will think you don't care about the time they are giving you. Make an effort to always be on time.
When you show that you respect people for time spent in your interest, they will behave the same way
Step 3. Avoid gossip
It's never a good thing to slip into gossip, especially if it's aimed at denigrating absent people. In reality, you will earn a bad reputation and, as soon as you leave, those who remain won't waste time gossiping behind your back.
- You don't have to love everyone, but respect is enough.
- Learn the difference between socializing and gossiping so that you avoid speaking ill of people.
- Avoid big dramas too.
Step 4. Stand up for others
In addition to standing up for yourself, you should try to take sides with people you see in trouble, especially if they can't stand up for themselves. Recognize the right time and context, because sometimes getting in the way can be inappropriate, but if you can intervene, don't hesitate. By standing up for abused people, you will earn their respect.
- Observe the situation carefully and, whenever possible, try to put yourself in others' shoes.
- If you are willing to lend a hand in times of need, you will be considerate of others and earn their respect.
- If necessary, ask for help. That way, those who come to your rescue will feel appreciated and will understand that you have a good opinion of them. Furthermore, you will demonstrate that you are a person who has the courage to recognize their weaknesses.
