This is a rant. Hit (S)top now if you don't want to hang around while I vent my spleen.
I don't respect authority. Authority does not, by itself, deserve respect. Go take your position of authority and shove it.
Respect is EARNED. I've said so on this blog before. There are people with authority in my life who I respect, because they've shown themselves to be inspirational and competent leaders. Show me that you know what you're doing, prove to me that you've earned your position of leadership, and I will be the greatest team player you have ever worked with. That's because you have earned my respect, and among people wired like me, respect is the currency of the realm.
On the other hand, if you pull rank for no reason, if you micromanage people who have more experience and knowledge than you, it doesn't matter if your rank says that you're the emperor of the galaxy; you've lost my respect and I don't respect your authority. If you're lucky I will leave your team.
I've had the blessing of working with some truly wonderful leaders. These are relationships that transcend any reporting structure because everyone gets on the same page. And even when there's a disagreement, I find it acceptable to let the person in charge make the final decision on something, because they've demonstrated that they've earned the right to do that. (Hint: it's always "because of X, Y, and Z" rather than "because I said so.") Relationships like that can even turn into long term friendships if the conditions are favorable.
So no, I will never respect authority on its own. Show me that you've earned the respect and you'll get it in spades. If you don't agree with that, go find some other world to live in that doesn't have me in it.