When people are highly respected, they stand out from the crowd in many ways. They may be media stars, politicians, sports stars, actors or writers. Maybe you know these people already. But did you know how they gained respect and success? Not without hard work, I can assure you. Here are 10 ways that will help you spot them.
1. They always over-deliver
Highly respected people never fail to deliver on their promises. Many go that extra mile and over-deliver. A great example is Bill Gates who certainly over-delivered on fighting multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in South Africa. His team gained an 80 percent cure rate at the cost of $100 for six months of treatment. This was an astonishing achievement, given that the previous rate was only 50 percent at a cost of $2,000.
2. They show appreciation
Let’s face it, anyone with emotional intelligence can gain respect and loyalty. They do this by simply showing appreciation and expressing gratitude for a great job. Unlike Tina Turner who never expressed gratitude to America where she amassed fame and millions of dollars. She is now renouncing her American citizenship to become Swiss.
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” — Voltaire
3. They leave nobody behind
Involving millions of people and engaging them in noble ventures is always mind-blowing. Bono’s work in trying to end global poverty and AIDS is a great example. He likes to be known as a ‘factivist,’ as he outlined in his TED talk.
4. They acknowledge your existence
Many famous people rarely pay attention to ordinary mortals like us when they enter a room or respond to a tweet. But there are some glorious exceptions when highly successful people will make the effort to acknowledge you. If you are really into getting celebrities to notice you on social media, try Reddit’s Ask Me Anything. Some very famous people like Barack Obama and Neil deGrasse Tyson have answered people’s questions there.
“A real gentleman is as polite to a little girl as to a woman.” — Louisa May Alcott
5. They influence and better people’s lives
Melinda Gates’s mother presented Bill and Melinda Gates with a challenge at their wedding. She said: “From those who are given great resources, great things are expected.” Melinda Gates, in her role as co-chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, divides her time between field visits in Niger and organizing a family planning summit for world leaders. This project hopes to make safe contraception freely available to 120 million women in developing countries.
“All lives have an equal value.” — Melinda Gates
6. They act rather than just talk
Richard Branson is one of the most respected entrepreneurs in the whole world. He could have sat back and enjoyed the good life. But he was determined to make the world a better place and acted rather than talked about what needed to be done. He never let things like recession scare him and it is no accident that he is known as Dr. Yes at Virgin. His motto is to turn ideas into reality.
“I’m fortunate enough to have only ever worked for myself – so I’ve always liked my boss! From selling Christmas trees to records, flying planes to spaceships, I’ve had a blast every step of the way.” — Sir Richard Branson
7. They like to share
“The person who dances with you in the rain will most likely walk with you in the storm.” — Anon.
Tony Hsieh (pronounced Shay) is not only the CEP of the Zappos online store but also a founding member of the Downtown Project for Las Vegas. The project founders hope to transform downtown Las Vegas into a community focused city. They aim to do that by encouraging entrepreneurs to work with the community to share interests, ideas and passions to build a connected urban core. They do not envisage dilapidated buildings but rather repurposed shipping containers. Las Vegas may become the shipping container capital of the world!
8. They do not seek the limelight
Many highly respected entrepreneurs and celebrities beaver away in the background and are rarely seen. They build high-performing teams, they do not seek accolades and they are able to stand back and let others thrive. They can celebrate their achievements through others. There are many other people who never get the recognition they deserve.
The University Partnerships Programme’s Unsung Heroes Award is a great example of how these people, who would otherwise have flown under the radar, are given credit for their achievements.
9. They are modest
You will never hear a humble or modest person say: “Let me deal with this. No one else can do it better than me.” David Packard, the co-founder of Hewlett-Packard is an excellent example of humility. He says: “You shouldn’t gloat about anything you’ve done; you ought to keep going and find something better to do.”
10. They pay it forward
Confident and respected people can pay it forward in many ways. A selfless, respected leader can mentor, help and guide coworkers. They set the example of selflessness in giving their time, energy and money. The US Marines are a famous example where the officers always eat last.
Featured photo credit: Richard Branson/D@ALY3D via flickr.com
