Good point.
I think there’re actually two different types of “respect” at play here.
A basic level of human respect, treating others civillay, is not the same respect as earning respect for consistently performing and exceeding standards n your job. ie earning respect through your track record, or not just talking the talk but walking the walk.
I agree. Unfortunately, we use the same word for "I know about qualities and actions of this person which I really admire," and "I treat everyone nicely because I'm a decent person."
There's a similar problem in using the word "pride": to be proud of a worthwhile accomplishment is categorically different from being proud of (for example) being American, but we use the same word.