Leadership is a two way street. There must be respect on both sides. But, when the balance moves from respect to deference, we are on a collision course to dissatisfaction
I define them as:
- Respect: an admiration of someone because of their skills, abilities and behaviours
- Deference: a subservience to someone because of their position and status
These definitions might not conform to yours. Mine are formed from my generation, culture and parents.
Long gone are the days when we doffed our cap to the lord of the manor, because he held the title and long gone are the days we were subservient to our CEOs because of their position and status. Today, we expect respect between us and our leaders to be reciprocal. We understand more than ever, how our fates are intertwined. It’s no longer a one way street.
Teachers are no longer respected because they stand at the front, but becasue they show a passion for nurturing children. Doctors are no longer respected because they hold the stethoscope, but because they care for the health of their patients.
We need to make sure that we nurture and education those who still live in a world where deference determines life chances and we create a world of mutual respect, where leaders respect us, so that we may respect them