Trust and respect

*Count to ten before you respond
*Put that angry email aside until tomorrow, and reread it with a clearer mind
*Don't send anything you wouldn't want your mother to read
*take a deep breath

These are some of the tips I've heard to prevent those sudden outburst we see in the office, on the phone, in texts and emails.

To be honest, I don't buy it. The bottom line is this. What we achieve, we don't achieve alone. Everything we do, is through help and teamwork of others. Without a network, you are alone and ineffective.

In order to have an effective network of people, you need to build relationships based on trust and respect. That takes time, often years of engagement, of showing each other that you are transparent, trustworthy and can be counted on to do what you say. And when you do that, you gain each others respect. Respect that has built up and developed over a long period of time.

And that is the crux of it all. It takes years to earn respect. It can take just a minute to lose it. When you understand the value and importance that trust and respect play in relationships, then you don't need pat sayings to remind you not to fly off the handle.
It comes naturally.

And if that isn't enough to make you do the right thing. Remember that everything you do, your team, your employees, your organization are watching you. And they will emulate you.

Lead with trust and respect.