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The big ‘R’ word. Having respect for your peers and gaining it from those around you are huge parts of becoming successful. But demanding respect and thinking you know what really goes into it are not the same as earning it.

Gaining peoples respect very much a two-way street. You need to respect others if you want them to feel the same way about you. Here are a few sure-fire ways to help you do that.

1. Only make promises you can and will deliver on.
I have had trouble with this one in the past. Being someone who wants to please everyone, I used to over-promise beyond my means. Doing that, a lot of times, backfired on me when it came down to acting. I’d run short on time, resources, and availability- and before you knew it, those instances started to catch up on my reputation. Nowadays, I’m very careful about what I say I can or can’t do. If I say I can do something, I commit to it and am fully accountable. There’s practically nothing that will make people respect you more than giving them what you said you would.

2. Value your peers.
The folks you work with are as much there for you as you are for them. Not only that, but they’re probably just as (or more so) educated, experienced, and skilled as you are. Consult them if you don’t know the solution to a problem. Understand their strengths, utilize them, and be thankful and appreciative of them. But remember- it needs to be genuine. A team can literally fall apart if even one person in it doesn’t fully understand this.

3. Help out as much as possible.
If you bend over backwards to make sure that your team (clients included) are happy, motivated, educated, and excited, they’ll do the same for you. Communicate clearly. Follow up. Keep in touch. Offer to do more for them if it helps things along. Make yourself available for questions and advice.

4. Admit when you’re wrong and don’t gloat when you’re right.
The last thing people need is a egomaniacal showboater who thinks they’re infallible. Fact is, everyone makes mistakes. If… no, WHEN you do, do the right thing and be responsible for it. Correct it, and if it can’t be fixed, try and make things right another way.

5. Be honest.
Honesty is everything. Building up a reputation as an honest, dependable human being takes quite a long time. Destroying that reputation for yourself, mere seconds. Once that happens, you might never be able to repair it.

6. Understand that you don’t know everything about everything.
Knowing that you still have a lot to learn puts you in a position to continue developing, growing, and bettering yourself and your skills. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t second-guess someone just because they haven’t been in the game as long as you have. Everybody has something valuable to offer, and grasping that fact may be the most important thing you can do.

Have something to add? Leave your suggestions and comments.