Loyalty: a strong feeling of support or allegiance
Loyalty is an interesting aspect of life. Whether or not you agree, everyone has some form of loyalty to someone or something. What or who are you loyal to?
I once had a supervisor that I truly respected. He was the manager that helped me become the employee that I am today. He helped me grow from a new and inexperienced manager into a growing and developing minion of corporate America.
He never had to ask me to contribute 110% but the way he treated and respected me gave me the desire to give my all. He was an amazing manager that changed my perspective in the career world. The way that he acted towards me instilled a deep sense of loyalty.
With this loyalty, however, I became biased as to the way a business should be run. I felt that everyone and every manager should run a company and business the way that my manager did. As ideal as this was it ruined many job opportunities with many respected companies. Although my loyalty was commendable, it turned into a destructive state of being.
With this example in mind, the idea of loyalty is very interesting and in some cases it comes with a price. When someone is loyal to something or someone you devote your time and attention to that aspect in your life. When you place that kind of devotion in your life you will naturally neglect other areas or aspects of your life.
While not all loyalties end in this manner of neglect, the aspects or areas that do can and will be destructive. Without a grasp on people or things to be loyal to you can ruin and injure the relationships and aspects of your life that are already positive. By being loyal to a certain manager you will undoubtedly treat other managers and employees in a different and often degrading manner. As much as being loyal can be positive you have to watch and maintain your other relationships.
Agreed, though I would add a small thought. One must be loyal to one's self also. Loyalty is a double-edged sword; commitment that is too strong to one person or idea causes inflexibility and a small perspective. If you are loyal to yourself and what you stand for, then the additional loyalties to family, friends, and work come rather easily. If all you are willing to be is someone else's follower, in the end you've sold yourself out. Just my thoughts. I like reading your perspectives Trent. Just like old times.
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