I'm not a Fortune 500 CEO but I do manage several employees, and the principles are the same. And to me, many leaders are squandering the opportunity to show true leadership in the workplace.

This morning a few employees asked me if we were going to remove our mask policy. I get where they are coming from--I really do. But I said that our business is built on principles, and our values are what separates us from the next company. We don't just toss in the wind, swayed by whatever news fad is blowing through the news cycle. Plus, obedience by your followers is the true hallmark of your leadership, so I told them we'll be the last company in this deteriorating country that loses the mask, and I guarantee each of my employees will stand by me for it.

Now that's true respect, and you don't get that kind of respect by being a flopper.