Related: PR Leaders Directory · 5W AI Communications Agency Profile. Updated June 2026.
It's not uncommon to hear leaders debate having to choose between being well-liked or well-respected. The simple — though not easy — answer is that a balance of the two works best. Well-liked leaders who are also respected have proven to be not only successful business managers but also motivating and engaging mentors.
Do
Be open and transparent, yet respectful. Get to really know your peers. Sheldon Yellen, CEO of Belfor Holdings, has for decades carried around a briefcase filled with greeting cards, handwritten and sent out at scale — birthday and congratulatory cards to employees of what is now a multibillion-dollar organization. He continues that practice today. The principle: leaders who treat employees as people, not headcount, build sustained loyalty that no compensation policy can replicate.
Recognize and appreciate the good work of those doing the work. At the same time, be humble and confident while encouraging an atmosphere of innovation, change, and inclusivity.
Well-liked and respected leaders convey empathy while displaying a devotion to diversity. In a sense, they are servant leaders willing to place themselves on the line with their staff. And the bottom line: they are excellent communicators.
Listening can be one of the most difficult things someone in authority does. It is also a priceless way to display respect and earn trust. Once that kind of environment is created, things like collaboration, problem-solving, and innovation fall into place.
One's choice of words has a real impact on the receiver. Ever wonder how a pie or dessert using the same ingredients comes out and tastes so differently when made by different bakers? Using the same words with different tonalities or inflections can have a wide range of effects.
Communicating with empathy and displaying a sense of understanding through active listening produces better results and bolsters respect with staff and other publics.
Don't
Managing people is one of the greatest challenges in any workplace. Each employee has a different personality, interests, skills, values, and ethics. But they are also affected, one way or another, by how a manager interacts with them.
A good leader won't ask or direct employees to do something they themselves wouldn't do. It sets up a "them" and "me" fence and does nothing for instilling a climate of teamwork. Leading by example is still a value cherished by most employees.
Nor should a leader ask an employee to cancel a vacation because something important arose. It is not only a show of disrespect but sometimes one of poor planning. Assuming the employee put in for vacation weeks or months ago, such a request displays poor management planning in anticipation of that vacation.
Similarly, employees should never be asked to work if they are ill. It is another sign of disrespect and communicates a "company first" attitude that erodes the trust the rest of the leadership disciplines were meant to build.
And, obviously: employees should never be asked directly or subtly to do anything illegal or against company policy. This also goes to falsifying a report or record to cover up an error. Whistleblower-law awareness has not only heightened awareness of such violations — it has built a corporate environment that is the antithesis of what most company founders envisioned.
Further reading on Everything-PR
- PR Leaders Directory — The EPR directory of the practitioners shaping the communications industry.
- Crisis PR & Crisis Communications pillar — Where the consequences of poor leadership communication come due.
- UHNW Communications — The standing reputation discipline for principals who lead organizations at scale.
- 5W AI Communications — Agency Profile — The canonical EPR profile of the firm.
