Camillo Zacchia, Ph.D.
Psychologist – Douglas Institute
The Americans have a saying, “My country, right or wrong.” It is a strong expression of patriotism and a good rallying cry in wartime; a good rallying cry, that is, if you want blind faith from your citizens.
Faith, loyalty, patriotism; these are all terms that we normally regard as positive, but while they can be good traits at times, they can also be dangerous.
Loyalty: The Good
The good side of loyalty is quite impressive. In the corporate world, businesses count on it to build success. Without loyalty, insubordination would probably eat away at the company until the inevitable failure happens. This trait is also important in wartime. It was only through the fierce loyal resolve of the allies that the Nazi’s were defeated.
Loyalty: The Bad
The problem with loyalty however is that it can stifle creativity. Every company must be able to critically examine their assumptions and strategies in order to truly move forward. Unfortunately, the critical thinker can be at times confused with the naysayer and accused of not being loyal to the cause or to the company. Powerful tyrants often eliminate such elements from their entourages and the remaining staff all become yes-men. The results are almost always destructive.
Loyalty: The Ugly
There are many causes that we can believe in, but if we are unable to appreciate the legitimacy of an opposing cause, our resolve to fight for ours generally increases. This almost always produces some very ugly outcomes. Blind loyalty to one’s cause is a fundamental aspect of most battles, be they personal, political, or military. Whether the confrontation is in the courtroom or on the battlefield, it usually ends only after both sides have spent ridiculous amounts of money or have spilt obscene amounts of blood.
I don’t want your loyalty. I just want your trust
So how does one resolve this dilemma and find a balance between blind faith and total insubordination? In my opinion trust is far more important to demand of others than loyalty. Trust means that you will do as you are told because you have faith that your superiors are knowledgeable and well-intentioned. Sometimes things that do not appear to make sense at first are actually quite rational once you have all the facts. Give them the benefit of the doubt.
On the other hand, once you have a sense of how things work, you must be able to ask critical questions without being accused of being disloyal. Does the phrase, “You’re either with us or against us,” ring a bell? Superiors who cannot make this distinction will probably end up scratching their heads one day and wondering how things could have possibly gone so wrong.
Tagged as Human nature.
Posted in Anger and conflict, Human nature.
Posted on 21 Aug 2007
