Respect - earned or enforced ?

 I casually mentioned to a friend about an office colleague,

“Every interaction makes me disrespect him more.”

This colleague happens to be senior to me at work.

Now, ideally, as professionals, we are expected to show respect — not just to seniors, but to colleagues across all grades. That’s the protocol.

But what happens in reality?

Some people consistently behave disrespectfully.

The reasons could be many — ego, power, insecurity, jealousy, lack of humility.

What gets preached is often not what gets practiced.

Over time, respect then remains only for the position, not for the person.

It becomes a professional compulsion rather than a genuine feeling.

Ideally, respect should come from the impact people create —

their words, actions, empathy, and the way they make others feel — completely agnostic of designation.

Ironically, some people expect respect from others while behaving otherwise themselves.

They disagree with disrespect in theory, yet practise it effortlessly.

Such individuals may command authority, but they rarely earn respect.

And deep within, those around them quietly wish they had a little more sanity and self-awareness.

As one rises in position or power, maintaining this fine line becomes even more important.

Leaders are meant to lead by example.

When they don’t, it creates a chain of disrespect — producing more insecure, authoritarian leaders instead of genuine ones.

And that, unfortunately, is how poor leadership multiplies.