of dependency . Michael Jordan ' s loyalty to his NBA team , Chicago Bulls , helped him win 6 NBA championships which was a rare honor by any standards . Kobe Bryant won 5 championships remaining loyal to LA Lakers . Many players , even the great Lebron James , find it difficult to demonstrate such loyalty .
What Is Loyalty ?
Loyalty is faith . Loyal employees have faith , mostly blind , in the mission , values , policies , processes and also leadership . Loyalty is hope . Loyal employees are optimistic .
Loyalty has different facets . Loyalty to the cause , mission and vision ; loyalty to the team ; loyalty to the leader and to the selfconscience .
Different loyal members have a different concept of loyalty which is the sub-set of one or more of the above . Those who are loyal to mission and vision demonstrate leadership traits . They wouldn ' t dilute their focus from the cause . They draw their energy from the mission and use it for chasing it . They are the day-dreamers and have huge energy and stamina .
Members who are loyal to the team work better in teams . They understand the strengths and weaknesses of every member and match their behavior accordingly . They play to their strengths and refer to the team whenever they get challenged . They believe that the team will over-power their competitors . They have a higher tolerance and ability to sacrifice many things , looking at the larger picture for the organization .
Those who are loyal to leaders feel that their future is in safe hands and they need not worry . They entrust their ambition with the leader .
Loyal employees develop organizations by their sweat and blood . They are prepared to take hit for the organizational cause . The loyal members of the team sustain heat better and they fight external friction harder . They believe in lifetime association with the team and the leadership . They aren ' t susceptible to poaching by competitors .
Loyal employees have an ax to grind but they don ' t miss the larger picture . They can nicely blend their agenda with the organizational purpose . Loyal employees understand that their bucket won ' t have
Organization structure shows positions and formal relationships . Loyalty is the adhesive that firms up the relationships and holds the structure tighter . It complements formal relationships with emotional relationships , transforming formal organizations into extended family .
water unless it is there in the organizational well . They have higher patience , the temperament to wait for their turn , and their patience can be misinterpreted as a preference for status quo . They prefer gradual change rather than the quantum jump . They opt for solutions that can work in the organizational culture and are acceptable to the leader .
Loyalty Can Be A Two- Edged Sword
Loyal employees expect their loyalty to be recognized and rewarded . They create backlash if it is not respected . If handled properly it delivers better results for the reasons explained here-in . But loyalty can take a wrong turn and inflict major damage . It can spoil the organization ' s culture and team dynamics .
The expectations of loyal members for recognition and reward are from the leader , the team and the new recruits . They will react differently with different people in case of any default .
They get into isolation if the team doesn ' t respect it or create an informal organization within the team to promote the interest of the loyals . They will provide a cold shoulder to the leader and stop taking initiatives . They won ' t cooperate and share knowledge freely with newcomers . Hence , a sound orientation program for the new recruits that highlights organization culture , processes , policies along with proper interactions with old employees help in resolving teething problems .
Strong loyalty program with welldefined career path helps to minimize the resistance of loyal employees to change . Rubbing loyal employees on the wrong side will make them create nuisance for others and generate heat by friction . Organizations can ' t overlook the loyalty aspect while expanding their horizons within the country or overseas .
Organizational excellence is the function of the chemistry between loyal and new employees . Leadership has to take ownership of developing team dynamics among loyal and new employees . Combining the drive of new ‘ joinees ’ with the navigation skills of old and loyal employees is the key leadership skill that oils the path towards organizational excellence .
Love For Leadership
Loyal employees have better aspirationmanagement . They treat authority as responsibility rather than position or power . They love their leadership , and might go to the extent of worshiping the leader . Their leader mesmerizes them with his thoughts and actions . The leader is the object of discussion for loyal employees . Their families know every micro detail of the leader . The behavior of the loyal employees swings with the mood of the leader .
Normally , loyal employees mix-up loyalty to leadership with organizational loyalty . Those who are so loyal to the leader , tend to even move with him when he leaves to join some other organization .
Loyal employees are driven by heart rather than brain . They value faith more than logic . The leader needs to develop an Emotional Quotient ( EQ ) to deal with loyal employees . The critical task for the leader is to manage the expectations of the loyal team members . The leader must understand the nature and source of loyalty and respond accordingly .
Those who aspire develop loyalty . Some people use loyalty as a ladder to climb up the organizational structure , some use it as a ' turbo-engine ' to grow faster , while others use it as a security shield , they feel safe when they are loyal to their leader .
Loyalty kills logic . A loyal employee follows even an illogical decision given by his leader . Loyalty changes perceptions and perspectives . Loyal employees need
62 MAL42 / 21 ISSUE