How often is your loyalty questioned? Loyalty is something of value. Loyalty is a hard gem to find in today’s society. Think about your loyalty to an organization. People don’t spend the same number of years working for the same company as their parents and grandparents did. Think of marriages that end in divorce. People are quicker to end marriages because of the smallest problems, such as “irreconcilable differences.” Loyalty is a powerful force that will keep you in any relationship, be it business or personal.

Your loyalty to someone or even an organization will always have a high appraised value. When your partner, for example, feels a sign of disloyalty in you, the level of trust decreases. When trust drops, the relationship deteriorates. The same goes for the organization you work for. When disloyalty is evident in you, your opportunities for growth in that organization are lost. Trust and loyalty go hand in hand.

The opposite, obviously, is disloyalty. So how is disloyalty demonstrated? Simply in what you say and, sometimes, in what you do. Do you meet at the water fountain with other employees to speak ill of what management is doing? Do you tell your partner’s secrets to your friends, knowing that if your partner finds out, they will feel very embarrassed or upset? In terms of what you do, how likely is it that you will allow someone to speak ill of a friend or family member of yours without you speaking for them? What if your co-workers say negative things about your CEO? Is it worthy of your defense?

Loyalty is ingrained in the heart. It is not superficial in any way. It is a code that you live by. It is a standard that will earn you allies for life. It is true that one can be loyal to negative people or organizations, such as gangs or terrorist groups. So loyalty in and of itself is not a sign of a good trait. The important thing is who or what you are loyal to.

Now, loyalty isn’t just about showing it by simply being loyal. The reason you are loyal is because the other party has your interest at heart. Loyalty is required on the part of both parties. If your company, for example, doesn’t show you signs of job security or turns you down for a promotion when you’re most qualified, then the company isn’t being loyal to you. Coming back to confidence, it is diminished in his eyes. The same goes for your personal relationships. All parties involved must show loyalty. If you are not benefiting from the relationship, then the level of loyalty is decreasing.

So be a person known for being loyal. However, be a smart loyal person. If you are given reasons to distrust the other party, your loyalty level will naturally drop and you must demand that corrections be made. If no corrections are made, then you have reasons to end the relationship.