The Virtue of Respecting Other People’s Time

Time is the one resource we all share and none of us can get back. When you respect someone else’s time, you’re not just being polite—you’re recognizing their life as equal in value to yours. Being punctual, prepared, and considerate shows maturity, self-awareness, and empathy. It tells others: “Your time matters, and so do you.”

A True Story: The Flight Delay That Changed a Career

In 2001, Indra Nooyi—then a senior PepsiCo executive—was running late for a meeting with a young regional manager. The manager had waited for over two hours without complaint. When Nooyi finally arrived, she apologized profusely. The manager said, “It’s your time, and I respect that.” Nooyi corrected him: “No, it’s our time. And today, I wasted yours.” That exchange stuck with her. Years later, when she became CEO, she made respecting others’ time a company value—and promoted that manager. “It wasn’t his patience,” she later said, “it was his quiet professionalism.”

Three Quotes from Books About Respecting Time

In Deep Work (2016), Cal Newport emphasized:

Your time is what your life is made of. When you respect others’ time, you’re acknowledging their life is just as valuable as your own.

~ Cal Newport

In Essentialism (2014), Greg McKeown wrote:

Every yes to something unimportant is a no to something essential. Respecting time—ours and others’—is about choosing what matters.

~ Greg McKeown

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989), Stephen R. Covey observed:

To manage yourself effectively, you must put first things first. Honoring other people’s time is a principle of trustworthiness.

~ Stephen R. Covey

Five More Quotes About Respecting Time

In a 2009 interview, Barack Obama said:

When someone gives you their time, they’re giving you a piece of their life. Don’t waste it. Value it. That’s how trust is built.

~ Barack Obama

In 2012, author Tim Urban blogged:

Making people wait isn’t harmless. It says their time is less important than yours. That’s not how respect works.

~ Tim Urban

In 1987, Katharine Graham wrote:

Being on time is not just about efficiency—it’s about character. It shows that you honor people enough not to steal from their lives.

~ Katharine Graham

In 2021, writer James Clear noted:

Time is a non-renewable resource. When you make others wait, you’re spending their life without their permission.

~ James Clear

In 1993, Toni Morrison advised:

Don’t squander someone’s hour for your convenience. Time is sacred. So is dignity.

~ Toni Morrison

Life Lesson:

Every minute you steal with lateness, distraction, or unpreparedness is a moment of someone else’s life they’ll never get back. When you value people’s time, you’re really valuing them. Be early. Be ready. Be respectful. Because the way you treat time—yours and others’—is the way you treat life.