Loyalty Begins With The Leader

When it comes to loyalty, most leaders think that their team should be loyal to them because they will benefit from it.

Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. Since we are the ones in charge and the ones who set the tone, I have always believed that loyalty begins with the leader.

We are not feudal lords from times of old when people swore loyalty to us just because of our title and position.

We need to earn the respect and the loyalty of our staff, it’s not given out like candy in a store.

Loyalty can be earned in return for offering people opportunities, titles and positions. Still, in my experience, this type of loyalty is bought and is often available for sale to the next highest bidder.

Too often I have seen people just looking for this type of opportunity and once achieved they are off looking for the next opportunity.

Real loyalty comes from how we treat people, from the trust and the respect that we have earned, and in how loyal we are to our principles, and whether we are authentic or not.

As leaders, if we want loyalty, then we need to show loyalty. We need to support our people, stand up for them when they need support, protect and take care of them, and show them that we care with authenticity.

When we do this, we can build a solid bond of loyalty, one that will be there when we need the support of our people.

If we choose to wait to build loyalty until we need it, then in all likelihood we won’t get the support that we need.

Loyalty is a two-way street, and it’s always stronger if it starts with the leader.

If you want to learn more about creating highly engaged teams or being a better leader click the link to make an appointment to talk about how I can help.