Respect

28th June 2018

One of my favorite storys of all time. Told by, Simon Sinek, and part of a larger speech on leadership at the Armed forces annual scholarship banquet back in 2014. It tells a story about personal and positional privileges and respect.

The ceramic cup was newer ment for me, it was ment for the position i hold. I deserve a styrofoam cup. We all deserve styrofoam cups.

Recently Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the prime minister of Turkey, was out in the media demanding respect. The Norwegian Footballer, Joshua King, was out demanding the same. There is a fine line for doing this, and it is easy to wipe out the lines between personal and positional privileges and respect.

Almost all privileges is ment for the position you hold, be humble about this and always keep in mind that the personal respect you earn is what sticks after the position you hold moves on.

Remember who you are

There was an under secretary of defense, giving a speech at an large conferences. He had recently retired and was standing on stage, speaking to the audience thru his prepared remarks. While he was talking he was taking a sip out of a coffee, witch he had in a styrofoam cup under the speaking chair. He looks down and smiles, and interrupts his prepared remarks;

Under secretary

– Last year i was the under secretary, and i spoke at this exact same event at the same venue. You see last year they flew me here business class. They had a car waiting for me, taking me from the airport to the hotel. At the hotel someone had already checked me in, and escorting me up to my room. Next morning i came down stairs, there was someone waiting for me in the Lobby, they took me to this same venue. I was escorted thru the back entrance, took me to the green rom and handed me a cup of coffee in a beautiful ceramic cup.

We respect a person, in a position or an office for the respect and the privileges it carries. After you move on, the question is; Who are you then?

Styrofoam cup

I am no longer the under secretary of defence. I flew here by coach. I took a taxi from the airport to the hotel. I checked my self in and this morning i took a taxi from the hotel to this venue. I walked in the front door, i found my way to the back stage and when i asked somebody if they had any coffee. He pointed at the coffee machine in the corner. And i poured my self a cup of coffee, into this styrofoam cup.

What we deserve

You see, the ceramic cup was newer ment for me, it was ment for the position i hold. I deserve a styrofoam cup. We all deserve styrofoam cups.

Conclution

As you become more successful, as you do well in life. You will be afforded meny advantages. They will hold doors and poor a cup of coffee without you asking for it. But its not ment for you, its meant for the position you hold. And when you move on they will give all of those things to the person that replaces you. Never forget that you only ever deserve more than a styrofoam cup

We respect a person, in a position or an office for the respect and the privileges it carries. After you move on, the question is; Who are you then?