Stephan Schmidt, CTO Coach - March 11, 2024
Trust is Not a One-Way Street
Those who want loyalty, give loyalty
TL;DR: Trust and loyalty from employees during crises must be earned beforehand through transparent communication, predictable actions, and demonstrating loyalty to employees when they need support—not expected as a one-way street when trouble hits. Invest in building these foundations during stable periods by keeping promises, being fair, and standing up for your team, so you can draw on that goodwill when facing budget cuts, layoffs, or major organizational changes.
During a crisis, managers and companies want loyalty and trust from their employees. And they don’t get that. Why? Are employees bad people?
Why would you need trust and loyalty? In a crisis, employees need to trust you making the right decisions and getting everyone out of trouble. They need to trust leadership that it makes the right decisions and takes the right direction. Loyalty helps that employees don’t jump ship but give you the benefit of a doubt, even when they are doubtful of the results.
The reason managers and companies don’t get trust and loyalty is, that both are not a one-way street. “Those who want respect, give respect.” as Tony Soprano said. You have to build trust and loyalty in good times to draw on it in challenging times like when your money runs out, or you’re in a straining change management process.
Earning trust and loyalty takes time. You trust employees, you are transparent, you act predictably, you do as you promise, you are fair, and you will build trust. You show loyalty in challenging times, you stick your head out for employees, you take a hit for employees, and this will build loyalty. You’re loyal to them when they need it, they will be loyal to you when you need it.
Many managers never build trust and give loyalty, but then expect this from employees in challenging times—and of course they don’t get it.
Don’t be that manager.
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About me: Hey, I'm Stephan, a CTO Coach with 40+ years of software development and 25+ years of engineering management experience. I've coached and mentored 80+ CTOs and founders. I've founded 3 startups. 1 nice exit. I help CTOs and engineering leaders grow, scale their teams, gain clarity, lead with confidenceand navigate the challenges of fast-growing companies.
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