“True leaders always practice the three R’s: Respect for self, Respect for others, Responsibility for all their actions”, by Anonymous. Knowing how and when to practice these three R’s is integral in becoming an effective leader.
Rob Liano said, “Self respect, self-worth and self love all start with self. Stop looking outside yourself for your value.” I couldn’t agree more. The reason why so many people and leaders do not respect themselves is that they do not spend enough time getting to know themselves and therefore allowing them the opportunity to build respect for themselves. Take time each day to meditate and to think of what makes you, you and then learn to accept yourself for who you are. Once you can learn to respect yourself, you then give yourself the capacity to respect others.
Wes Fesler taught that “Maturity is developed by respecting others and accepting responsibility for violating that respect.” My father has taught me many lessons in my life and one of those lessons is that you can always tell the character of a person by the way they treat others who are perceived to be lower on the ‘societal ladder’ than they are. For example, watch how people treat the waiter at a restaurant or the cleaner in the office building. How do you treat these sorts of people? Men and women of great character treat those they come on contact with, with respect. And when we are willing to do the first two R’s of leadership we are then far more inclined to live the third.
“If you don’t accept responsibility for your own actions then you are forever chained to a position of defense,” remarked Holly Lisle. Being able to accept responsibility for your own actions gives you the power to take your life in your own h ands. When my brother was killed my family and I could have easily played the blame game and in so doing fall into the trap of depression and what psychologists call the ‘pain body’, instead we understood that how we react to this situation will define the path our lives will take. We decided to let go of the pain and hate that we felt and decided to move on with our lives, thus by accepting the responsibility of our actions and not wallowing in the pit of self-pity and blaming our own sadness and hate on the actions of the person that killed my brother.
As we practice the three R’s of leadership we will become effective leaders, the type of leaders we would want to work for and therefore the type of leader others would want to work for too.
Your friend,
Raynor Boreham