Everybody expects employees to be loyal to their company and to their bosses. Of course I don't mean 'blind loyalty', which is a concept of the past. Today, loyalty means conditional as opposed to unconditional, questioning as opposed to unquestioning and thinking as opposed to unthinking.

This loyalty is a two-way street. Leaders know that and are therefore loyal to their employees as well!

What do I mean by that?

Smart leaders will challenge you, they will push you and at times they will criticize you. But they will always do that internally. A leader will never leave you out in the cold. As opposed to many managers, for whom staff is just cannon fodder in the unavoidable political battles, leaders will always do their very best to protect their employees and you find them at the front line all the time. Employees are obviously part of the battle in one way or another. After all, leaders rely on their know how. Loyal employees will provide them with the necessary facts and arguments, i.e. the ammunition, to win the battle. But they are not cannon fodder!

Two-way loyalty must be earned and it is an important element in building trust. And as we all know, trust is one of the most powerful emotions.

Last but not least, we should never forget that it is also important to be loyal to ..... ourselves!

I look forward to your comments.