By Elaine Lankford

Every year I go to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, with my church.

We partner with a local church there that runs an orphanage. This particular orphanage is home to children from 2 to 21. During my travels there, I have gravitated to working with the teenage girls and have forged many a friendship with them.

I love to sit and just watch the socialization that goes on among them. They are happy, healthy teenage girls, due to the love and care they receive, and their behavior is identical to that of American girls.

If you watch long enough, it becomes apparent who the group’s “ring leader” is. One or two girls always assert their influence over the group, and they enjoy these moments of power they have discovered.

Here in America, it is no different. In fact, every day in schoolyards, boardrooms or places where friends have gathered, leaders emerge and followers get in line behind them.

No matter the age or setting, when people come together, you’ll see this scenario play out over and over. Why? Because the Law of Respect is in motion.

The Law of Respect states: “People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves.” This concept is twofold.

First, we must be able to determine what level of respect our leadership ability provides us. As John Maxwell explains in “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,” people are naturally drawn to those who take on the role of leader within a group.

However, a leader will be unable to maintain his or her role as the leader if their leadership ability is not respected by potential followers. And even once their leadership ability is substantiated, they will most likely not be followed by someone who is a stronger leader.

In other words, if one’s leadership ability is a 6 on a scale of 0 to 10, we should expect to find people who have a leadership ability of 5 or under following us. On the other hand, those who have a leadership ability of 7 or greater will most likely move on.

In order to gain a higher grade of followers, we have to grow to a higher level in our leadership ability.

Second, we must understand what can help us earn the respect of others. John gives us six actions: maximizing our natural leadership ability if we possess it, showing respect for others, exhibiting courage in decision making, having a proven track record of success, being loyal to our followers, and providing value to others.

As we take into account how the Law of Respect works and integrate it into our daily leadership tasks, we must be vigilant to monitor and reevaluate if we are truly gaining the respect of others.

There are two ways we can measure how much we are respected as leaders. One is to look at whom you are attracting. I love this quote by Dennis A. Peer, “One measure of leadership is the caliber of people who choose to follow you.”

Another measure of a leader’s respect can be gleaned by watching how his followers respond when he asks them to commit to something implement a change. If you have the respect of those following you, they will demonstrate their commitment through the work they perform, and they will embrace any necessary changes presented to them.

Earning the respect of others is no small feat. We can easily become discouraged when as leaders we are giving it our all, but are failing miserably to move others to action.

Today, let’s ask ourselves two questions: Am I a leader worthy of respect, and how can I be more respectful of those I lead? Once you can answer those two questions, you’ll be on your way to becoming a more highly effective leader.

Elaine Lankford is a John Maxwell certified coach, teacher, trainer, and speaker. She is the founder of Transforming Love Ministries, LLC and a board member of the Christian Business Coalition of Hampton Roads. Email her at elaine@elainelankford.com.