Clarifying the Concept of Respect: Implications for Leadership

Executive Summary Respect is a pervasive factor in practicing, teaching and studying leadership. In this article the concept of respect is clarified using three methods: review of literature; selection of an inter-related series of seven near-synonyms for respect (subjective sense of the person who is respecting); and creation of a view of respect based on twelve distinct objects of respect (what is respected). Together, the series of near-synonyms and the twelve objects of respect constitute the Integrated Typology of Respect. The author suggests implications for leadership theory development, and the study, practice and teaching of leadership, and closes with conclusions and recommendations for future research.