How Do You Earn Respect in Your 20s?

Duty Definition: Taking action based on your assigned tasks and moral obligations.

When I was a 23 year old Army lieutenant I had a leader I didn’t respect. He was smart and knowledgeable about his job and mine. He had a good sense of humor and could talk to just about anyone. I heard from others that he even said nice things about me when I was not around. But I didn’t respect him.

Would you respect somebody who:

• Came to work late and left early?

• Consistently “lost” paperwork?

• Never did more than he was required to do?

• Didn’t spend time to develop his subordinates?

• Blamed his soldiers when things went wrong?

• Was a “yes man” when a senior officer spoke, but complained when he left?

That leader set a poor example when it came to exercising the habit of Duty. Maybe he misunderstood the concept of Duty. We define Duty as “taking action based on both our assigned tasks and moral obligations.”

A lot of people do just enough to get by and they think that is enough. Their feelings determine their work ethic each day and think that is enough. They don’t t