The seventh law of the The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is The Law of Respect:

“People Naturally Follow Leaders Stronger Than Themselves”

People don’t follow others by accident. People who are an 8 in leadership don’t look for a 6 to follow – they naturally follow a 9 or 10. The less skilled follow the more highly skilled and gifted.

Occasionally, a strong leader may choose to follow someone weaker than himself. But when that happens, it’s for a reason. For example, the stronger leader may do it out of respect for the person’s office or past accomplishments. Or he may be following the chain of command. In general thought, followers are attracted to people who are better leaders than themselves.

When people respect you as a person, they admire you. When they respect you as a friend, they love you. When they respect you as a leader, they follow you. The more leadership you have the more you can size up the leadership of others.

Summing-up: Measure your level of the respect you earn. Without earning respect, you will have difficulty leading.