By Juanpablo Barrantes Leader’s approach (3 ~ 4 min read) Everything in human’s life is about relationships. Everyone relates to anyone to get something in life. Need money?, love?, a job?, business?, healthcare?, travel?, power?. Just mention whatever you’re striving for, and the answer will probably include the same resource: other people’s aid. So what’s the secret to succeed in life while building up bridges instead of burning them down with those around you? Oh yes, you probably are thinking about Emotional Intelligence.. right? And that’s true, individuals with high EQ have the right people skills and know their inner selves well enough to leverage their emotional and relational strengths for the benefit of the group. But there’s another basic concept that I think is undervalued when talking about healthy relationships, that is Respect. Now hold on, it’s so obvious Respect has to first be present on any interaction between people. That’s plain true, however is not the omission or presence of respect by itself, the problem is, almost anyone don’t get into the wide and deep meaning of the concept “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”. Have you ever been repeatedly in a long line waiting for a service? Whenever this happens again and again in the same place, my conclusion is: this people (management) lacks respect to me and any of their customers! What about your workplace, does your boss and upper management encourage you and anyone in the Organization to suggest and implement ideas for improvement? Whenever you don’t feel like being encouraged and at the same time empowered to be an active contributor of your workplace, my conclusion is: this people (management) lacks respect to me and any of my peers! What about yourself, are you keeping a fair life balance between work, family, community, health, intellect and spirit? To me, it all starts with self Respect whenever you value yourself as the very first person you need to love by recognizing how valuable you are for others and the invaluable role you are meant to play within your whole life, and then to aim for changing this world by touching the lives of those around you for the better. So what does really mean Respect? To me, the real meaning of Respect starts right at the crossroads between Influence and Manipulation: It is the true intention you have towards someone in getting something what really determines if you are fostering Respect or not. Are you interacting with others by conviction or by condition? It’s your true interest to convince others by a cause or just by applause? Is it your approach to others guided by Self-interest or Common-interest to get individual or group benefit? Respect is earned whenever you reveal your truest intentions to your audience and they get tuned-in with your WHY or your cause because it’s in line with their values and feelings. Imagine how this world might become if each one of us just show and spread a little more Respect for ourselves first... and then for everyone and everything else. Let’s start to give a little Respect! www.jpbarrantes1973.wixsite.com/leadersapproach