I am sure sometime during your life you have said “I will be loyal to this cause, person or organization until the day I die.” Do you still feel that way?
Loyalty is a pretty powerful word when you think about it. When I think of being loyal, it is more than simply being committed. Loyalty represents total buy-in. It doesn’t matter if it’s a cause, a person, or an organization, loyalty is a product of trust.
I remember back when I opened my first IRA and had the ability to choose where I could put my money. My father had been a stock broker for a short while and I will never forget the advice that he gave me regarding investing. You need to know the numbers but invest in the people leading the organization.
Good leader – good investment. I think this is true most of the time. I don’t follow the market much anymore but as someone in the leadership field, I often read about what business leaders are doing and how they impact their tribe.
What I find interesting are the articles I read about employee retention and turnover as related to the success of the company and the leadership in place.
What I have observed is that people are more loyal to the people they are working for than the dollar amount on their paycheck. A down year with strong leadership does not necessarily create a mass exodus. On the other hand, when a strong and trusted leader departs the organization, even though times may be good, there is a tendency for the main players to depart as well.
We know that a dog is man’s best friend. Why is that? I think it is because the dog could care less about the bottom line, where we live, what kind of car we drive or where the decimal point is on our paycheck. The dog is not attached to any of that. He simply trusts his master and knows that he cares about him.
So, does loyalty last forever? It depends. I would suggest that loyalty to a school, business or cause will only last as long as loyalty to those in charge exists.
I know my loyalty to men such as Joe Paterno (Penn State), Jim Tressel (Ohio State) and Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints) dropped after their integrity was called into question. I would have considered myself a loyal fan and follower of these men prior to their poor choices becoming public. Their books still sit on my bookshelf but I honestly don’t know how soon I will feel inclined to open them up again.
My point is this – The only way loyalty lasts forever is if the integrity behind the cause, person or organization remains intact. As I said before, loyalty is the product of trust. So I guess as long as there is trust, there can be loyalty. Broken trust eliminates that loyalty.
So the next time you make the statement that you are loyal to something or someone, think about what it is about that thing or person that makes you loyal.
Loyalty is a bond that can provide both motivation and satisfaction. But remember, it will only be as strong as the people behind it. Be careful who you invest in and how much you depend on them, and more importantly, start with yourself.
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Barry Smith 6/21/13 photo by author © Building What Matters 2013
Barry, thanks for the post. I don’t often think of total commitment. I think of loyalty as a combination of trust, affinity (or preference).
If you violate my trust, I will not trust you as much again. Without some serious turn-around, I simply can’t. But I can separate trust and help. I’ll help just about anyone. I won’t help them take advantage of others (or me), but even if they’ve done something that hurt me, I can still help them.
Preference or affinity is the other factor for me. Loyalty is when I trust and prefer someone. I’m most loyal to those that haven’t violated my trust and who have helped me.
I’m not very “loyal” to people I don’t know using this formula. Your example of football coaches for example throws me off. I happen to prefer certain coaches over others based on what I know about them. But I don’t trust them to do much more than win football games. So I never really thought of loyalty at that level.
Thanks for making me think this morning. Mike…
You are welcome Mike and I could say the same. I guess our loyalty to someone may be confined to a specific set of boundaries. You have made me think as well. My loyalty to these “coaches” really had nothing to do with winning or losing the games bot on how they influenced their players. I love how this collaboration provides so much added perspective. Thanks Mike
I liked this, Barry. I am loyal. But like you, (and Mike Sr.) if my TRUST is betrayed, well then, my loyalty takes a severe hit as well. It very well could be forever lost.. But people make mistakes. Often. So, saying that and acknowledging that, makes this post very important to think about.
Thanks, Pal of mine.
Great point Amber-Lee. Communication is a huge part of loyalty. I will admit that I sometimes forget that. Thanks for jumping in.
Hi Barry
You hit the nail on the head . . . integrity is the glue that keeps us loyal. And ultimately, loyalty is the product of trust. As long as there is integrity, there can be trust; as long as there is trust, there can be loyalty.
Great post, Barry!
LaRae
Thanks for emphasizing integrity LaRae. It is definitely part of both trust and loyalty. Great insight!
Barry – Loyalty vs. Trust, well stated my friend. Loyalty is a value which is under stated.
Some people say “Tracy you are loyal to a fault”. I say it is not a fault but a value our western society no longer embraces.
Now, who are those handsome puppies?
Your Loyal Friend,
TT
Thanks Tracy. I appreciate the clarity on fault vs. value – couldn’t agree more and the loyalty is mutual. Thanks for jumping in.