Respect Starts at the Boardroom
This week’s podcast conversation was with Njideka U. Harry . A reminder how respect is a business imperative.
Not because it was theoretical. Because it was structural.
We often talk about respect as a "soft skill" in culture. Njideka reframed it as something far more critical:
Respect is governance.
And once you see it that way, you can’t unsee it.
Leading With Respect is available wherever you get your podcasts. I would love it if you choose to subscribe, share & comment:
Respect Is Not “Soft.” It’s Enterprise Risk.
Njideka put it plainly:
Respect is the consistent practice of protecting human dignity while pursuing performance.
That definition does two things most organizations miss:
It holds performance and humanity together. And it ties respect directly to decision quality.
When respect breaks down in leadership spaces, especially in the boardroom, the consequences aren’t cultural. They are operational:
This is not abstract.
We already know from MIT Sloan research that toxic cultures cost U.S. companies billions annually. Njideka simply takes it one level higher:
If respect fails at the top, the entire system distorts.
The Silent Failure Mode Most Leaders Miss
One of the most important insights from this conversation:
Disrespect is rarely loud.
It doesn’t show up as a conflict.
It shows up as silence.
And over time, that silence becomes normalized.
Everything looks “fine.” Until it isn’t.
This is where her point intersects directly with the work of Amy Edmondson on psychological safety:
Organizations don’t fail because people don’t know. They fail because people don’t feel safe enough to speak up about what they know.
The Subtle Signals That Shape Culture
What I appreciated most is how specific Njideka was about how respect shows up (or doesn’t):
And one that I've constantly experienced and witnessed:
When the CHRO is treated as transactional while the CFO is treated as strategic, the message is clear:
People matter less than numbers. That’s not a culture issue. That’s a strategy failure in the making.
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Respect Is Designed, Not Declared
This is where most organizations get it wrong.
They treat respect as a value statement.
Njideka reframes it as a system design choice.
Respect lives in:
In her words:
Respect should be part of the operating model, not a slogan.
That aligns directly with what I see in my work:
The companies that scale alignment and decision velocity are not “nicer.” They are more deliberate about building respect into how work happens.
Three Moves Leaders Can Make Immediately
Njideka kept this refreshingly practical.
1. Build competence and confidence together. Master your craft. Speak with clarity.
Respect starts with credibility.
2. Make speaking up non-negotiable. Protect the messenger, especially when the message is uncomfortable and difficult for leaders to hear.
If truth-telling is punished, even subtly, silence becomes the norm.
3. Hold culture to the same rigor as financials. Measure it. Track it. Treat it as a leading indicator of performance.
Because it is.
The Real Test of Respect
I asked her how leaders can ground this in something human.
Her answer was simple and powerful:
Treat people like someone’s precious child.
Not as a slogan. As a decision filter.
That lens changes behavior fast.
Final Thought
In the age of AI, speed is beyond human capacity. Njideka gives us an important reminder:
Respect is what turns talent into performance and conversation into good decisions.
Without respect, speed amplifies the wrong signals.
More data. Faster decisions. Worse outcomes.
Respect is what ensures that the right information reaches the right people at the right time.
And that is not soft.
That is how organizations win.
Njideka highly recommends the book, The Twin Thieves, which has guided her own leadership. Listen to her talk about it on the podcast.
Leading With Respect is available wherever you get your podcasts. I would love it if you choose to subscribe, share & comment:
