Respect: The Practice Behind the Principle
June 4, 2026 – C. Lustgarten
It’s a well-known paradox[i] that meaningful change requires confronting difficult truths. Josh McEwan, Director of Manufacturing Product Development at O.C. Tanner, meets this idea head-on. “There is a lack of good leadership in the world,” he says. “There’s a lot of leaders out there, but I think really good leaders…there’s a few of them.”
He isn’t wrong. According to a recent Gallup survey, only 19% of employees in the U.S. strongly agreed with the statement “I trust the leadership of this organization”, and only 16% said that their organization’s leaders “inspire enthusiasm about the future” [ii]. Meanwhile, even as perceptions of leadership effectiveness are decreasing, the bar for good leadership is rising, necessitating development efforts that bring leadership intent into alignment with employee experience.
At the core of this leadership gap is a principle that is both commonly referenced and frequently misunderstood: respect. In the Shingo Model, Respect Every Individual is one of two principles in the Cultural Enablers dimension, the focus of which is the foundation of an organization: its people[iii]. The importance of respect in the workplace is undeniable. Not only do most people cite feeling respected as a primary need at work, but a lack of respect may indicate the presence of “ethically and legally questionable behavior”[iv]. However, while most people understand how important it is to show and receive respect, fewer seem able to articulate what this means in practice.
Start As You Mean to Go On
If respect were only about intent, it would be easy to demonstrate. But respect isn’t defined by what someone means to communicate—it is defined by what people experience.
At O.C. Tanner, such experiences are an embedded practice. Beginning on day one, employees are made to feel a part of the organization. Josh describes his first day at the company: he arrived to find his cubicle clean, his desk set up, his cell phone charged, and his name badge pinned to the wall. The effort put into making sure everything was ready to go had a profound impact, not only on Josh’s own sense of belonging but on how he would treat others moving forward. This is how leadership behaviors cascade—what is modeled at the top is enacted by teams, embedded in routines, and ultimately reflected in the experiences of every employee. In this way—when principles are practiced by everyone, at every level, every day—a culture of excellence is shaped.
Designing With Intent
While kindness is critical, respect cannot be something that is only expressed through individual behaviors; it must be embedded in systems. If systems are designed well, they reinforce the behaviors they seek to promote. Over time, those behaviors become habits—and those habits are what define culture.
At O.C. Tanner, systems such as coaching, strategy deployment, and recognition play a critical role in shaping such behaviors. Team members participate in setting goals rather than simply working toward those set by leadership. This gives them a sense of ownership, which not only increases commitment but encourages a deeper investment in outcomes. Simply put, when individuals are given the opportunity to contribute ideas, lead discussions, and influence decisions, their level of engagement increases. When leaders offer guidance rather than rigid requirements, capability grows alongside confidence. When contributions are recognized in meaningful ways, trust and morale follow.
What is critical is understanding that this kind of engagement cannot be expected. It must be designed.
Leadership Responsibility
Leaders shape the conditions in which people work. They influence whether people feel safe contributing ideas, whether problems are addressed, and whether effort is acknowledged. They determine whether feedback is welcomed or avoided, and whether learning is continuous or limited.
To create an such an environment, leaders must consistently ask questions that challenge the current reality: How can I do a better job? What might I be missing? They must seek feedback from individuals at all levels of the organization and remain open to perspectives different from their own. They must acknowledge any sense of entitlement and resist the temptation to feel that they have “arrived,” recognizing instead that leadership is an ongoing process of learning and adjustment.
They must also practice being present. By doing the work to understand what others are experiencing, leaders position themselves to remove barriers and create a more supportive environment. Importantly, effective leadership requires trust, and trust isn’t built through isolated actions; it requires sustained, consistent engagement.
When people experience such support, they don’t just adapt to a culture—they enhance it.
Simple ≠ Easy
While Respect Every Individual is often considered a basic principle, in practice, it’s anything but.
Respect is revealed in tiny details and reinforced through large systems. It is tested in moments of discomfort and strengthened through reflection. And more than just intention, it requires the humility to not only own the truth of the current state but a willingness to learn from it.
We don’t have to accept a world in which effective leadership is lacking—as Josh McEwan reminds us, “All of us need to step up.” Because when we consistently put principles into practice, we move beyond intention and into the kind of leadership that allows others to truly experience respect.
[i] The Stockdale Paradox, https://www.jimcollins.com/concepts/Stockdale-Concept.html
[ii] https://www.gallup.com/404252/indicator-leadership-management.aspx
[iii] https://shingo.org/shingo-model/
[iv] https://www.gallup.com/workplace/655040/respect-work-returns-record-low.aspx