Someone recently asked me how they could gain the respect of their peers.
My answer?
Listen.
Not the “uh-huh, yeah, totally” kind of listening.
The kind where you actually care.
Where the story matters more than your reply.
Where you lean in, not so you can respond,
but so you can understand.
I’ve been blessed in my life to meet and talk with some of my heroes.
People who made a lasting impact on their world and mine.
And here’s what I noticed when I spoke with them.
Every single one of them made me feel like I was the only person in the room.
They hung on every word as if I were some great philosopher.
Truth is, they did that with everyone.
Because they were genuinely interested in what people had to say.
You can’t fake that.
And it’s one of the reasons their influence was so broad.
No matter how smart you are
or how much value you can add,
no one will receive it
if they’ve never felt received by you.
Smooth talkers can get attention.
They can even persuade for a while.
But persuasion isn’t the same as respect.
If you want respect,
there’s no substitute for actually caring.
About people.
About their lives.
About what’s on their mind when they’re talking to you.
Because respect doesn’t grow by standing out.
You win respect by seeing in.
If this encouraged you, would you share it with one friend who might need it too?
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#FirstLightwithNate #Leadership #Respect #Listening #Influence #FaithAndLife #LifeLessons
Well said and so true. I can't stand it when I'm talking to someone and they are not listening