The Art of Loyalty
Chris (Christian) Mon?
Transform Companies, Organizations & Societies with Natural Followership. Redefine Leadership. Rethink Followership. | Speaker, Trainer & Consultant" | naturalfollowership.com
The other day, I visited my father. Whenever we meet, we tend to discuss everything from books we’ve read to global politics. These discussions usually lead to conversations about natural followership, and yesterday was no exception.
Sipping tea in my father’s living room, we discussed the importance of democracy and the challenges of loyalty.
The Balance of Power
Democracies are fragile, and they’re always at risk of being undermined by power-hungry individuals. Therefore, they must be protected.
In a stable democracy, there’s a balance of power among key institutions. No single branch of government—executive, legislative, or judicial—should have enough power to dominate the others.
In recent years, several political leaders have attacked their countries' democratic constitutions and foundational principles. A common tactic of these democratically elected autocrats is to shift the balance of power away from independent institutions and toward themselves. However, to succeed, they need the support or compliance of those holding influential positions in key institutions.
Decision-Maker vs. Constitution
When a democracy is under attack by an autocratic individual or group, the actions of the institutions become crucial. More specifically, it’s the actions of the institutional decision-makers that become crucial. As my father put it, “A key factor is whether the military command chooses to be loyal to the president or the democratic constitution.”
The fall of democracy and individual freedom does not hinge on the actions of one or two individuals. It’s the actions of those who represent the institutions that matter.
Loyalty Is Not Blind Obedience
Blind obedience is not the same as loyalty. We don’t demonstrate loyalty by following orders at the expense of our values. Nor are we loyal if we submit to decision-makers who threaten the very principles we’re meant to protect.
I’ve always maintained that when we’re hired for a job, our loyalty should lie not with management but with the company itself. The same principle applies in politics: our loyalty should first and foremost be to our country and its inhabitants, not the decision-makers.
This is easier said than done. Standing up for what’s right requires integrity and courage. However, it’s important to recognize that when someone pressures us to obey an order that violates our objectives, principles, or responsibilities, they’re abusing their power.
Ethics: A system of accepted rules about behaviour based on what is considered right and wrong.
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Law vs. Ethics
Before obeying an order, it’s wise to ask:
Does this order conflict with any laws, rules, or regulations?
Of course, laws are written by people—and they can be changed. Autocratic individuals and groups will often try to manipulate laws to serve their own interests. In such cases, what can we do?
Well, I believe the second question we should ask before complying is:
Does this order go against my moral values?
As I wrote in Why We Follow, “If an order requires you to do something you find morally distasteful, don’t comply. Few things weigh more heavily on one’s conscience than violating one’s ethical values.”
In the end, true loyalty lies not in blind obedience, but in the courage to uphold the values that protect both human freedom and the natural world we all depend on.
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