Time To Demand Respect Like A BOSS
Jan 12, 2026 3:01 pm
DEMAND RESPECT LIKE A BOSS
You want respect but often get treated badly. People waste your time, push you too far, and make you give up what you believe in. This wears down your confidence and stops you from reaching your goals.
This is why you must demand respect like a boss, and in this writing I will help you do so.
BE DIRECT, NOT UNAPOLOGETIC
The first way you can demand respect like a boss is to be direct and unapologetic. When I was working in the corporate world, one day I got a call from one of my managers.
She said, “Gene, I would like you to be at the meeting today at 3 PM.” Now, I didn’t know what meeting she was talking about. It was something I hadn’t heard of. So, I reached out to somebody else in my position, and I asked that individual if they were going to the meeting. And that person said, “What meeting are you talking about?”
I said, “The meeting my manager’s asking me to go to.” “You’re not going?” He said, “No. I didn’t hear anything about it.” So, I reached out to my manager. I said, “Okay, this meeting’s at 3 PM. What’s it about?” She said, “Don’t worry about it. When you get there, you’ll find out.”
So, I went to this meeting, and when I got there, I was the only person in the meeting. I was talking to one of my clinical specialists. She looked at me and said, “Gene, close the door and come here and sit down.”
I said, “What is this meeting about? Am I in trouble?” She said, “No. But the reason you’re in this meeting is that the corporation found out, by going through your background, that you are a certified teacher—and a physical education teacher at that. So, we had a situation that popped up. One of our executives went out and told a corporation that we had a certain program for minors.” I interrupted her and said, “We don’t coach minors.”
She continued, “I know, but he sold this program about a year ago, and nobody was actually backtracking the things he was doing. When we found out, he ended up quitting, and now we are starting this program that’s supposed to launch next week.”
I was thinking to myself, “This is absolutely crazy. Why do they want me to come here and try to do a program when they know this program is illegal? We do not have the structure; we do not have the policies in place. There’s no way I could do this program.”
I looked at my clinical specialist and said, “I’m not about to do this program.” She said, “Listen, I don’t blame you for not wanting to do it, but I need you to talk to your manager about it because she’s trying to get me to work with you to create this program.”
So, I went to my manager and said, “Listen, I found out about what happened. You want me to do this program. I am not doing this program.” She said, “Gene, you have to do the program. We pay you.”
I said, “I’ll quit this job today. You know what you’re asking me to do is illegal. I am not doing this program. It is a no. If you need to fire me, you fire me, but I am not about to do it.”
You see, in that situation, I was very direct and unapologetic. I didn’t go to her and say, “Sorry, I can’t do this program because this is...” I said no, I am not doing it. When you’re in situations like this and people are not respecting you, trying to get you to do something they know is wrong, you have to be very direct and unapologetic.
Because I was direct at that moment, they ended up being honest with the corporation about that program. They scrapped the program, returned their company’s money, and I never had to compromise myself in that situation.
So, if you want to demand respect like a boss, understand this: you cannot be nice to people when it pertains to being direct. Say what it is you will not do. Be direct and unapologetic.
SET CLEAR BOUNDARIES
Two, set clear boundaries. One day, I got a call when I was a substitute teacher, and a person asked me if I would work with a kid in a wheelchair who wanted to attend band camp. Now, they knew I came from the medical field and I’m used to working with people with disabilities.
So, I said yes, I would do it, but the only way I’m going to do it is if I have a sheet typed out about all the things y’all expect me to do with this kid so I can follow that and nothing else.
You see, I had very clear boundaries because I knew that working with a child in a wheelchair with a disability could open you up to all kinds of lawsuits. Because I set those clear boundaries, I was able to work with that student throughout the summer as he went to band camp, and I didn’t have any issues.
If you want to demand respect like a boss, set clear boundaries in your life—whether it’s at a job, in a relationship, with friends, family, or anyone else. When you don’t have clear boundaries, people will try to get you to do things you don’t want to do.
Three, prioritize your needs. One thing I have discovered over the years is that it’s very important to put your needs first because if you don’t, people will reach out to you with their agenda, their needs, and they will expect you to prioritize helping them above everything else.
Now, all my friends know I like to get up early in the morning and go to the gym at about 3 or 3:30 AM. Well, one particular morning, one of my friends called me during my workout time, which was very unusual, and I answered the phone when I should not have.
He said, “Gene, I want to talk to you about something.” I replied, “No. This is my gym time. This is my peacetime. I will not talk to you right now.”
If you don’t put your needs first, you will start giving up your time for yourself or the things you want to do to please other people. That’s why it’s very important to put your needs first, as that will allow you to demand respect like a boss.
HAVE CONSEQUENCES
Four, enforce consequences when people cross your boundaries. One boundary that I have with some of my friends who come to work out with me is that they show up on time.
Now, one particular guy I was working out with would show up late all the time, so what I had to do was look him in the eye and say, “Listen, man. You’re asking me to work out with you. I don’t have to work out with you, and if you want to work out with me continuously, you need to show up on time.”
I remember looking at his face; he looked very upset and frustrated, and he decided he would not respect my time. So, you know what I did? I stopped working out with him.
Have consequences when people cross your boundaries. Don’t let people feel they can disrespect you, insult you, or do whatever they want toward you, because if you allow that type of disrespect, what’s going to happen is you’re going to stop respecting yourself.
So, make sure that when you have your boundaries, you enforce consequences so people can start respecting you like a boss.
These are the ways you can start demanding respect like a boss, and I want to encourage you to apply them to your life so you can get the respect you deserve because You Are WORTHY TO BE GREAT!
P.S. What has unworthiness already cost you? How many times have you given up on a dream or never even started because you didn’t believe you were enough?
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