11 Things Even Brilliant People Do At Work That Make Everyone Quietly Lose Respect
No matter how smart you may be, your behavior is going to affect the way people feel about you.
ESB Professional / Shutterstock Respect is a two-way street. Whether it’s between partners, co-workers, or leaders and their teams, it is fundamental to a healthy working environment and a positive professional culture. Sadly, according to a 2025 Gallup survey, feeling respected in the workplace has dropped to an all-time low, with only 37% of workers believing they’re respected by their peers and employer. While part of the reason respect is dwindling can be attributed to growing resentments and tensions in Corporate America, there are also several things even brilliant people do at work that make everyone quietly lose respect for them.
Whether it’s a boss overlooking the humanity of the people on their teams or self-centered employees dismissing their co-workers, being more intentional with how you behave toward others at work could make all the difference in how happy and respected you feel.
Here are 11 things even brilliant people do at work that make everyone quietly lose respect
1. Interrupting others during meetings
Fizkes | Shutterstock.com
When people don’t feel heard in a conversation, especially on a regular basis, the health of their relationships starts to erode. Even if it’s a relationship at work between leaders or co-workers, dismissing the need to cultivate a safe space for everyone to feel heard and valued can make you quickly less respected by peers.
Interrupting during conversations and talking over people in meetings is one of the things even brilliant people do at work that makes everyone quietly lose respect. You’re not only ensuring that the person you’re talking over feels less comfortable and valued in the conversation, you’re reminding other people that you’re more worried about saying your piece than cultivating a team-oriented conversation and safe space.
2. Taking credit for other people’s work
Fizkes | Shutterstock.com
Taking credit for other people’s work in the office is one of the best ways to sabotage your respect, both by the person whose work you’re overlooking and team members who know your workload.
Even if it’s something subtle like praising a project or a piece of work, but not referring directly to the person who actually did it, especially in important meetings, where an employee would benefit from the public praise, it’s still one of the things even brilliant people occasionally do at work that make everyone quietly lose respect.
3. Not being a good listener
Fizkes | Shutterstock.com
No matter where you're working, having strong communication skills is incredibly important. And that doesn’t only include clear and inclusive language. It’s also about how well you’re able to listen. Even in highly stressful situations and big meetings, ensuring that other people feel heard by being a good listener is key to building trust and maintaining respect.
When you’re just waiting to talk, interrupting other people, and even taking over a conversation where you haven’t been truly listening to your peers, it not only reflects poorly on you as a person but also makes you a worse leader.
4. Overlooking humanity for productivity
Oleksandr But | Shutterstock.com
Regardless of where you work, everyone is human. You’re showing up to work, going home to personal lives, struggles, and situations, and returning the next day. Even if you don’t like your co-workers or your boss, that’s the truth.
Treating people with respect in the workplace often revolves around recognizing their humanity. Sometimes, that looks like giving people grace when they show up late, being there to support them when they request bereavement leave, or leading with empathy to help people bounce back from their mistakes.
When you overlook humanity for the sake of productivity, dehumanizing people who make mistakes, guilting peers into not taking time off, and working people to the point of burnout, that’s one of the quickest ways to make everyone quietly lose respect around you.
5. Not taking responsibility for mistakes
NDAB Creativity | Shutterstock.com
Similar to patterns of lacking accountability in a romantic relationship, people who refuse to own up to their mistakes in the workplace tend to fragment the foundation of trust they have with their peers and leaders. They’re not only passing up on opportunities to grow, but quickly losing respect from their peers by operating from an insecure and immature mindset.
Especially if you’re a boss or leader in the workplace, not living up to the values you set for employees, whether it’s taking accountability or being open communicators, can cause a lot of disconnection and resentment on your team, according to executive coach Sam Silverstein. To truly thrive in the workplace and gain the respect that everyone yearns for, you have to not only set values but live by them, even when it’s difficult or uncomfortable.
6. Never asking for help
Friends Stock | Shutterstock.com
Asking for help, especially in the workplace that tends to be inherently competitive at its core, isn’t easy, but it’s fundamental to building trust and helping people to feel valued, according to a report from Stanford University. When you ask for help, you’re growing and building better connections. When you offer up or give help, you feel needed and valued. By feeding into a culture that’s willing to help people, not just for others, but for themselves, as well, you build a baseline of respect that’s necessary for a positive culture.
Never asking for help and being hyper-independent to a fault is one of the things even brilliant people do at work that makes everyone quietly lose respect. You’re not only sabotaging your own productivity and self-esteem, but also connections and relationships that would otherwise thrive with people if they had the chance to offer support.
7. Being unapproachable
Stock 4You | Shutterstock.com
Being unapproachable at work and unwilling to offer support to peers is one way to sabotage trust and respect in the workplace. There are a number of things that can craft an unapproachable demeanor, from wearing headphones to rushing in and out of the office, and even avoiding office banter. But sometimes, these things are entirely unintentional.
Despite being subtle and well-intentioned, for the most part, these habits can urge people to avoid you at work, go to other people for support, and overlook the importance of building a relationship with you that could bolster productivity.
8. Avoiding conflict
insta_photos | Shutterstock.com
When you avoid difficult conversations at work, you could also be sabotaging respect from your leaders and peers. Not only do conflicts and concerns that go unresolved spark resentment and tension, but they also keep you from leveraging opportunities for growth.
When you forgo having these conversations and voicing your concerns, you’re essentially telling other people that you care more about protecting your own comfort than growing in your position, learning from others, and owning up to your mistakes.
9. Blaming co-workers
Fizkes | Shutterstock.com
Shifting blame instead of owning up to your mistakes is one of the quickest ways to lose respect at a job. Not only does it break trust with your peers, who bear the brunt of this toxic behavior, but you also lose respect with your employers and leaders. You’re only telling people that you would prefer to lie and throw everyone else under the bus than take accountability, move forward, and grow.
Even if you made a mistake, owning up to it and being solution-oriented can help you to gain respect and truly grow in a company, whereas shifting blame and avoiding confrontation only paints you as untrustworthy and immature.
10. Overpromising
Fizkes | Shutterstock.com
Overpromising and underdelivering can cause you to lose respect in the workplace, especially if you’re consistently missing the target, falling short on expectations you agreed to, and failing to voice your concerns when you know you’re falling behind.
Similar to expressing and bragging about goals before actually achieving them, which has been shown to hinder actual progress and performance, overpromising tends to put a lot more unnecessary pressure on you, harming productivity and outcomes.
11. Constantly complaining
Bangkok Click Studio | Shutterstock.com
According to the Harvard Business Review, complaining can cause negativity to seep into the workplace through culture, relationships, and communication. You’re not only becoming the negativity you’re complaining about, you’re reinforcing job dissatisfaction and negatively affecting productivity.
While it might seem like a nice release of tension and negativity, regularly complaining at work is one of the things even brilliant people do at work that makes everyone quietly lose respect. Outside of leadership frustrations, other peers and co-workers may eventually resent you, as their workload becomes harder to tackle and their attitude negatively shifts.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
