You don’t lead people well by trying to force them to respect you. Respect is often built through the way you lead—your character, consistency, fairness, competence and the way you treat people.
If someone repeatedly disregards your leadership, don’t ignore it and don’t embarrass them publicly. Find a private moment to understand what is behind their behaviour. They may have a genuine disagreement with you, they may not understand their responsibility, or they may simply have a problem with authority. Listen first, then make the expectation clear and address the behaviour if it continues.
At the same time, examine yourself honestly. Are you asking people to follow standards that you don’t follow yourself? Are you communicating clearly? Do people know why decisions are being made? Good leadership doesn’t mean everyone will agree with you, but people should be able to trust your motives and know that you will lead consistently.
And when someone continues to undermine the leadership after correction, you may need to establish a boundary or reconsider their responsibility. Being a servant leader does not mean allowing people to continually weaken the work you have been entrusted to lead.
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