Everything Counts: 52 Remarkable Ways to Inspire Excellence and Drive Results

Chapter 38. Loyalty Counts

"Being loyal to something or someone apart from oneself means that self-interest is not all that governs such a person's behavior or lifestyle."

It is counterintuitive for some, yet crystal clear for others: regardless of your feelings or inclinations about it, loyalty counts. There are few words in the world that carry such weight and influence on character as loyalty. Wherever you may be, whatever language you speak, we are all called to understand and practice this noble virtue.

Semper Fidelis is Latin for "Always Faithful." It's a way of life that should be a shared responsibility for a civil society. It's a loyal and shared commitment to ourselves, the others upon whom we rely for our success, the companies for whom we work, and the communities and countries where we live.

We don't hear much about the virtue of loyalty these days. The word sounds old-fashioned and rather passé, but nothing could be further from the truth. Loyalty pertains to matters of truthfulness, faithfulness, and integrity. Perhaps the reason we don't hear very much about it is because we're not entirely certain we really aspire to it, or don't want to be held accountable for disloyalty.

Loyalty is an unswerving allegiance, faithfulness, and fidelity to a commitment, person, nation, or a cause. It provides the gold standard for relationship excellence. It's steadfast in good times and tested in bad. Loyalty is found in what you do, not what you say. It is willingly given, with a person's ...