Loyalty in the Workplace: Lessons for Leaders
LOYALTY FROM YOUR EMPLOYEES ISN’T A GIVEN; YOU HAVE TO EARN IT.
I previously wrote about being accused of lacking loyalty for leaving an organization of which I was a part for two years. Though my departure was prior to the Great Resignation, that ongoing event makes it clear that I’m not alone in feeling that today’s corporations aren’t always worth sticking around. In the prior blog, I make the case that employers have only themselves to blame - many simply no longer fit the criteria by which humans select and prioritize loyal relationships. A true fix will require wholesale cultural shifts that enlightened leaders will need to spearhead over time. Let’s look at what you can do now to get your organization and team on the right track.
Think of loyalty as a characteristic in you, not your employees.
Leaders should ask themselves whether they are worthy of loyalty and strive to become so. At McKinsey, we evaluated our Engagement Managers and up on a concept we called Followership - a track record of inspiring junior colleagues to follow them into new opportunities. This shift in terminology puts the emphasis where it belongs - with the leader whose actions, behaviors, mindset and values motivate others to follow them. Or not.
Loyalty is earned, not found.
If we reject the idea that loyalty is inherent to a person as argued in the prior post, it obviously follows that we shouldn’t be evaluating candidates for hiring, promotion or transfer based on whether they have it or not. If you’re not persuaded, consider how illogical it is to try to recruit for the trait of loyalty: to bring someone to your team, they have to be leaving somewhere (or someone) else - a disloyal act! (Or so that CEO would say.)
Loyalty only matters coming from those with options.
Reviewing the results of the biannual employee engagement survey, my peers on a business unit leadership team fretted over the results of a particular question - “Over the last two years, I have considered employment options outside of my organization” - showing a significant increase in respondents agreeing with the statement since the prior survey cycle. My peers were universally alarmed that more people were entertaining outside opportunities. I was alarmed by the large percentage that weren’t.
If loyal employees are your singular objective, you can always find it in weak performers who have no other options. Sure, you’ll keep warm bodies in the seats and avoid the hassle of recruiting and onboarding, but at the cost of results, productivity and innovation. Prioritize that kind of loyalty long enough and you won’t even know that your team could be achieving so much more; you will have forgotten what good looks like.
Instead, aim for 100% of your employees to regularly consider their alternatives and choose to remain on your team, because of the atmosphere you’ve fostered, the development opportunities you provide, the unwavering focus on doing what’s right even when it’s hard and the willingness to stand in the ring with your team when things go wrong, but take a back seat to their accomplishments when things go right.
Cultivate loyalty that pushes back.
Strive to inspire the kind of loyalty in your team that thinks, sees and questions - call it “critical loyalty.” An oxymoron? Maybe. But, we know that when loyalty becomes blind obedience, at best, performance suffers and, at worst, major ethical violations occur. Value your team for their willingness to follow you. Value them more for their willingness to speak up when they think you could be doing something different or better.
How do you inspire loyalty in the teams you lead? What tips should be added to this list? Put your thoughts in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe - be the first to hear about future posts!
