How important is loyalty for career success?
Loyalty is a virtue that is, naturally, valued highly in companies, alongside reliability, trustworthiness, honesty and integrity. However, is it possible to be loyal to the point where it actually works against you? In this short article, I’ll explore the theme of loyalty in the workplace.
There may well be a straightforward dichotomy here - between loyalty to yourself, your well being, and the furtherance of your career on the one hand - and loyalty to your employer, your boss and your colleagues on the other. Finding the harmony and balance in that is probably the ultimate goal. In my experience, it’s one that is achievable, if at least for a period of time.
Beyond the obvious: why loyalty matters
The advantages of being loyal to your firm and leadership are clear. Being seen as loyal generates trust, which can then lead to opportunities and advancement. Staying with the same firm for an extended period of time allows for the deepening of skills and expertise. In turn, this enables you to add more value - thus, you become more valuable. You’ll also have the opportunity to deepen the relationships that you have with your colleagues and clients alike.
The downsides of loyalty
Context matters. Loyalty at all costs can be detrimental to your career and happiness. Staying in the same role, in the same firm, may mean that you are seen as part of the furniture. With no danger that you will leave, employers might be tempted to slightly underpay relative to the market. This is something I discussed in a previous blog on why you’re being blocked from promotion. Furthermore, there’s a danger that employees become under challenged, under-stimulated, bored and feel stuck or stagnant. This can, in turn lead to performance dropping off with all the following negative consequences. Ambition begins to die and self-belief evaporates.
Loyalty works both ways
Perhaps we can say that you’re one half of an implied contract of loyalty. It’s easier to be loyal to a winning leader, a winning team and a winning firm with a winning strategy. It may also be possible to remain loyal if you believe that although the firm is having a hard time, recovery is still a possibility. Equally, if the firm has a mission or vision aligned with your values, it’s also easier to stay loyal.
However, if those values are compromised and the mission becomes diluted or lost, one’s sense of loyalty evaporates. See the recent backlash after British rapper Stormzy launched a collaboration with McDonald’s.
Not all change is good
All firms can change, and not always for the better. The firm has to remain loyal to its shareholders and investors, and if you’re no longer seen as essential to the health and growth of the enterprise, you may be let go. The contract is broken. Or you may realise that the firm is not looking after you as well as you feel it should - it’s not being loyal to you and is no longer holding up its end of the implicit bargain.
You change
Your values - meaning your life’s priorities - inevitably shift over time with each chapter of your life. You may therefore consider that remaining loyal to your values and the furtherance of your career means that you have to make changes and seek opportunities elsewhere. This is especially if the current role, firm or leadership are no longer aligned with your life, values and ambitions.
Loyalty to your colleagues
Being loyal to colleagues is slightly different to being loyal to a company. You or they will move on, but that doesn’t mean that you break off relationships. They remain part of either or both your personal and professional networks. You can still find ways to add value to them and support their careers, even if you’re no longer actually working together.
Striking the balance
Finding the right balance is made easier if you’re crystal clear about what you’re trying to achieve in your career and your values in the context of both job and career. You can then define what you have to do in order to be loyal to your employer. At the same time, you can decide on what behaviours you expect to see from your employer.
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There will be moments of inflection when change happens: end of year reviews, moments of clarity, redundancy, being approached by another firm, and so on. I once had a conversation with a friend of mine who works in Premier League football about just how phlegmatic players are about being dropped from the team or indeed being recruited by other teams. They just know that football is all about winning and the management have to constantly field the best team they can. So, while you are on the team you commit with everything you’ve got and if you’re dropped or approached, well that’s all part of it. The same goes for your career. By all means be loyal, but remember that there are no rewards for loyalty at all costs.