I think in terms of who I respect there's two aspects to it -- a decent amount of Clue and a habit of doing the Right Thing.
Clue isn't necessarily about being smart or good at things, it's about knowing your limits and putting in an effort. Someone who knows they don't know much about something but asks intelligent questions and is trying to learn will get far more respect from me than someone who guesses and tries to make things up, or someone who just doesn't care. We all have weaknesses; it's how we deal with them that makes a big difference in my book.
The Right Thing is a little harder to define... ethics is such a personal thing. I guess it's being willing to lend a hand, not lying and being dishonest to get ahead, that sort of thing. What I guess amounts to showing respect.
