Loyalty sounds like an admirable character trait until you think about what it means.
I once got a new boss, and in an early meeting with her, she said to me: “Loyalty is very important to me.”
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It was instantly apparent that what she expected loyalty to her personally.
It felt like The Godfather had just asked me to kiss his ring.
What does it mean to be loyal to your boss?
Provide blind support?
Rubber stamp every idea?
Lie?
I have had many bosses to whom I was loyal.
They never asked for it.
They earned it by being a great boss.
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Loyalty is appropriate for describing your dog, who will love you regardless of how you treat them.
To test who is more loyal to you lock your boss and your dog in the trunk of your car. Wait an hour, open the trunk and see who is happy to see you.
A smart boss knows that they do not need a tail-wagging faithful companion. They need smart, capable employees who base their analysis and recommendations on an honest assessment of the situation.
The best leaders earn trust. They do not demand loyalty.
David DeSteno, a psychology professor at Northeastern University, explains how leaders can use to build trust.
First, DeSteno’s studies show we grant power to those who are empathetic, and those who look out for the greater good
When you meet someone, work with them, and learn about whether they’re going to have integrity and cooperate with you. DeSteno says that “Trust is a bet that a person is going to hold up their end of the bargain — accept some short-term cost for longer-term gain.”
Secondly, understand that there is a vast power differential between you and your boss. Some bosses demand, asks, or enforces trustworthy behaviour through a sense of implied coercion. But a boss who needs loyalty to be successful is unfit for leadership.
Conclusion
Demand for or unfailing loyalty to leadership is not a trait to be admired but to be looked at with suspicion.