Executive Briefing: Are People Following You—or Just Complying?

In this article for CEOWORLD Magazine, Pete Behrens explores a moment most senior leaders recognize but rarely discuss: You make a decision. The room goes quiet. Heads nod. The plan moves forward. And later, alone, you wonder: Did they agree because it was the right call… or because I'm the one who said it?

That unspoken question reveals leadership's most elusive peak—the narrow ridge between authority and respect.

Authority is positional. It comes with the role and answers one question: Who decides?

Respect is relational. It's earned—slowly, inconsistently, and repeatedly—and answers another: Whose judgment do we trust?

When leadership leans too heavily on authority, people comply but commitment thins. When leadership avoids authority altogether, clarity erodes and decisions stall. The elusive peak is the space between: where direction is clear and dissent is safe.

The irony? The more a leader relies on authority, the less they learn whether people actually trust them. The most dangerous mistake is mistaking compliance for credibility—believing you've earned trust when people are simply being cautious.

Pete offers a simple diagnostic: Pay attention to what happens after you speak. Does conversation continue or cease? Does dissent surface or disappear? Compliance is silent. Respect speaks—but only when you've proven it's safe to challenge you.