We often think of self-respect as a personal issue, something we’re each responsible for developing and nurturing within ourselves. But what if it’s something we also could or should help nurture in others? I started thinking about this after listening to our Rabbi’s sermon during the recent Jewish holiday services – in it, he asked (and I am paraphrasing) whether, in addition to seeking forgiveness during these holidays, we might also seek to forgive. We live in a very inter-connected world, doing things for ourselves as well as others, and likewise, benefitting from both. Webster defines self-respect as “pride and confidence in oneself; a feeling that one is behaving with honor and dignity”. As leaders, we should help others develop pride and confidence in themselves and appreciate and recognize when they are acting with honor and dignity. We can do these by observing their actions and catching them when they do things right, by listening to their comments and concerns by responding in a timely and appropriate way, by coaching and mentoring them to be more competent and confident, and encouraging them to become all they can be. In this way, respect, and self-respect (like forgiveness, and forgiving) become the two sides of the same coin, and they help develop qualities in ourselves and employees that benefit everyone. These are virtues worth practicing and supporting today.
Sir John Frederick William Herschel (1792 – 1871): English polymath, mathematician, astronomer, chemist, inventor, and experimental photographer who invented the blueprint
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