People say:
He has to earn the right to lead
Or:
Respect is earned, it’s not a right
Perhaps they refer to a political leader, a police officer, the boss in the workplace, a parent. It’s an eco-friendly idea because it’s frequently recycled. This is what I think they mean.
- No one in leadership has inherent authority to tell me what to do
- I have inherent power to tell leaders what to do
- No position includes the automatic right to respect
- Those who fill roles and positions must respect my will and opinion
In other words: ‘There’s no such thing as power, except when it’s in my hands.’