Loyalty! Is it key to Success?

It has been a very long time since my last post. I apologize for that but without making too many excuses, I have been extremely busy these past few months. Luckily I have found (made) some time to visit my site and make a post or two.

Loyalty - A feeling of allegiance, the act of binding yourself intellectually emotionally or morally to a course of action.

Loyalty is an admirable trait to posses but where does it fall into the big picture? Without loyalty, there is no meaning to the other principles. Why would you motivate yourself to be dedicated and devoted to a cause that requires honesty and integrity if you were not going to be loyal to it? You wouldn't, or at least I wouldn’t. Once you have decided where your focus is, you must remain loyal. If you do not, you would have already put in a lot of work to no avail. There are many ways to show loyalty. You must find the one that fits the needs of the cause you are working toward. Loyalty is the substance which ties the first five principles together.


So who or what should we be loyal to when it comes to being successful in management? Our employer? Our employees? Peers on the same level with us? Who? The answer is, all of the above. However, nobody said it would be easy. As a leader we have the responsibility to look out for the best interest of our employer, but this does not relieve us of the same responsibility to our employees. If you look at military history, great leaders such as Patton, Bradley and "Chesty" Puller had the philosophy that the morale of their men came first. It was their responsibility to take what ever orders came from command, however demoralizing they might be, and find a way to complete them,  while being loyal to both their men and command. Patton and Puller were great masters of this. 


For us in the corporate world, we have to do the same thing. First, decide what the "main thing" or what the "right thing" to do is. Second, be creative in developing a solution that allows you to focus on your employees morale and well being first, and obtaining the objective second. Please don't miss understand me, it is ultimately important that you complete the objective, but it is equally important that it is done while keeping your employees in mind. Once you are able to do this, becoming a successful leader will be inevitable. 


Loyalty. Be loyal to yourself, be loyal to your employer, be loyal to your peers and most importantly, be loyal to employees. They are the ones that really get the job done. They deserve the credit, and they deserve your loyalty. 


I hope in some fashion I have helped you focus on becoming a successful leader. Tune in next time. 

Sneak Peak: 

"Truth – This is the foundation of being a great manager."

Devotion, Discipline and Dedication Go Hand in Hand

Devotion - To give or apply one’s time, attention, or self entirely to a particular activity, pursuit, cause or person. When you think about it that way, it is quite the challenge isn't it? But that is exactly what a good manager should do. As a successful manager, it is our responsibility to apply our time, attention and ourselves entirely to our employees, the "main thing" and our company.

There is always a price for everything, nothing is free. In order to be a successful manager, we must pay that price. What price is it? Time and effort. Devotion. You have to put the time and effort in to achieve your goals. Sometimes you will have to sacrifice things in order to set the example you wish for your employees to follow. By being devoted, being dedicated and disciplined enough to stay the course, you are making the necessary sacrifices it takes to become that successful leader. When you do this, your employees, your coworkers and your employer will have a much greater respect for you. 


Devotion is not a word to be taken lightly, it requires work. It requires discipline. When you get down to the nuts and bolts of the matter, it requires a tremendous amount of your personal time and time is one of your most valuable possessions. As you develop as a manager, you will see the difference you will make in the lives of your employees, when they see you are devoted to them. There has never been a statement more true than that of the old adage "actions speak louder than words." Your actions must show your employees that you care about them. What better way than to be devoted to them in all aspects. 


Over the course of posts to come, I fully intend to go into greater detail on subjects such as devotion. I hope you will continue to visit, and please comment. Dialogue always brings out more truth and more ways for us to learn. 


Until next time...