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Marketing folks have a saying, “If you want loyalty, get a dog.” Customer loyalty, it seems, is a myth. Is employee loyalty a thing of the past, too?

Nope. But too many leaders focus on loyalty at the expense of true leadership.

Perhaps the definition of loyalty is the problem. I had a boss once who demanded loyalty. Unfortunately what passed for loyalty was not asking unwanted questions, telling her what she wanted to hear, and towing the line.

We want employees to be loyal. But to what? Ultimately, we want our people to be steadfast in their commitment to the organization and its mission. How do we get that? Through great leadership.

Great leaders inspire loyalty, often without trying for that outcome. They build emotional commitments based on trust and credibility. Most importantly,  they’re able to nurture dedicated employees who are loyal to the organization, not just the leader.

It is said that no (wo)man can serve two masters. Are your people serving you as the leader, or is their first loyalty to the organization?

Have a question or want some input from Humanergy about this topic? Contact us and we’ll get right back to you!