“The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity, faith, love and loyalty.” –Zig Ziglar
“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.” –Colin Powell
Is loyalty important?
Loyalty is faithfulness or a devotion to a person, country, group, or cause. (Philosophers disagree as to what things one can be loyal to. Some, argue that one can be loyal to a broad range of things, while others argue that it is only possible for loyalty to be to another person.)
Josiah Royce in his 1908 book The Philosophy of Loyalty presented a different definition of the concept. Loyalty is a virtue, “the heart of all the virtues, the central duty amongst all the duties“. Royce presents loyalty as the basic moral principle from which all other principles can be derived. The short definition that… loyalty is “the willing and practical and thoroughgoing devotion of a person to a cause”
Loyalty seems so final…such a huge commitment…maybe we don’t have to be loyal to anyone or anything, but ourselves? John Maxwell has a ton to say about loyalty as well…”When you’re looking for potential leaders, if someone you are considering lacks loyalty–he’s disqualified.”
I guess it’s important. Maxwell asks…so what does it mean for others to be loyal to you? Or for you to be loyal to others?
1) They love you unconditionally: They accept you with your strengths and weaknesses intact. They care for you…but don’t put you on a pedestal.
2) They represent you well to others: Loyal people might take you to task privately or hold you accountable, but they never criticize you to others.
3) They are able to laugh and cry with you as you travel together: This makes the trip less lonely.
4) They make your dreams–their dreams: Some people will share the journey with you only briefly. But a few–a very special few–will want to come alongside you and help you for the rest of the way.
When people combine loyalty with other talents and abilities, they can be an incredible asset. If you should find people like that…take care of them…they are worth more than gold. Thoughts?
Mastermind Century Group 