Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.
—Colin Powell
Success in the workplace requires understanding your employees. Matter of fact, we’ll say that your employees are the biggest component of success, which means that without strong and effective leadership, and without feelings of loyalty, success will be lacking.
Ty Collins defines a loyal employee as: a person who has worked for your company and has always focused on the success of the company. This includes sacrificing their own time and interest to put more energy into the corporation. These selfless acts are measurable and done on a daily basis.
Loyalty is a two-way street. A company and its leaders must be loyal to their employees if they are to expect loyalty in return. John C. Maxwell feels loyalty boils down to COMPASSION. His formula for achieving success is:
COMPASSION > COOPERATION > RELATIONSHIPS = RESULTS
As leaders, we must ensure employees understand the value they provide. Maxwell suggests we make it clear that our leader/employee relationship addresses the following:
DO YOU CARE FOR ME?
Value your team as humans, not resources
People are more important than projects
Know what motivates each person
Share what you value most about each person
CAN YOU HELP ME?
Remember that it’s a two-way relationship
What can you do to help them grow and obtain their career desires?
Each person helps you and the organization most when you help them
CAN I TRUST YOU?
Keep your promises
Be consistent
Match your actions with your words
Achieving results is essential for growth and sustainability. As a leader, don’t lose sight on devoting time to your employees and building loyal relationships.
How do you view loyalty? Is it a 2-way street?
Loyalty is a decision, a resolution of the soul.
—Pascal Mercier