Nobody respects someone because they tried to be respected. They respect someone because of what that person did, repeatedly, when nobody was specifically watching for it.
It's tempting to think respect at work comes from being impressive, the sharpest answer in the meeting, the most polished presentation, the biggest visible win. Those things help, but they're not actually what respect is built on. Respect tends to come from a much less glamorous set of behaviors: doing what you said you'd do, telling the truth even when a softer version would be easier, and treating people the same whether or not they can do anything for you.
That last one is worth sitting with, because it's the fastest way people quietly lose respect without realizing it. Someone who's warm and attentive to their boss but short and dismissive with a junior colleague or a support-function coworker isn't fooling anyone, people notice exactly who gets your patience and who doesn't, and they draw conclusions about your character from it, not just your manners.
Two people give the exact same presentation, equally polished. One of them is known for showing up on time to every meeting, giving credit generously, and being straight with people even when it's uncomfortable. The other is known for taking credit loosely and being noticeably different depending on who's in the room. The room trusts the first presentation more, not because the content was better, but because of who delivered it.
Competence still matters, nobody respects someone who consistently does bad work, regardless of how decent they are as a person. But past a baseline level of competence, the differentiator that actually earns lasting respect is almost entirely about consistency of character: do you do what you say, do you treat people fairly regardless of their rank, and can people trust what you tell them without double-checking it.
There's no shortcut through this, and that's actually the useful part, it means it's available to anyone, regardless of title, tenure, or how naturally charismatic they are. It's built through hundreds of small, unremarkable moments: following through on a small commitment nobody would have noticed if you'd dropped, being honest about a mistake instead of quietly hoping it goes unnoticed, giving a straight answer instead of a political one. None of these moments are individually memorable. The pattern they add up to is what people call "someone I trust," and that reputation, once built, is one of the sturdiest things you can carry into any room.