Leadership is an earned right, and the best way to earn it is to show, as Aretha Franklin would say, a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

  R = Reach out. Tell your colleagues what you want to accomplish, and how each of them can help.

  E = Engage. Solicit their advice for decisions on matters that will affect them and the company.

  S = Simplify. Communicate your ideas and strategies in the simplest ways possible.

  P = Participate. Allow your people to help you develop the mission and strategy for your department.

  E = Expectations. Use consistent oral and written communication to tell your people what you expect of them.

  C = Courage. Have the courage to make the tough decisions, and to “push back” on management if their decisions are made without considering the impact on your team.

  T = Time. Respect your colleagues’ time, and try not to micro manage.

To help take charge, you also might try some well-regarded business books on leadership, such as: “The Leadership Challenge,” “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,” and “The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels.” They demonstrate that what legendary hoops coach John Wooden once said of his players is true for you, too: “Respect a man, and he will do all the more.”