Successful Leaders Leave No One Behind.

By A. Abeku Haywood-Dadzie

"My loyalty to Country and Team is beyond reproach.” The Navy SEAL Creed

The movie "Black Hawk Down", based on the 1999 non-fiction book of the same title by Mark Bowden, sums-up the mindset of the US army and, by extension, the American people. I am of the opinion that underlying the United States' international relations and foreign policies is an unofficial code; "the warrior’s ethos" that says "we never leave behind prisoners of war, not even when it is clear they have fallen, no one is to be left on the battlefield, and by extension, we never leave our citizens behind".

The United States enters into extradition treaties with other countries to ensure that any of its citizens who face legal issues are extradited back to the United States for trial.They "keep faith" with captured service members to a large extent by adhering to international conventions and protocols on prisoner of war rights, and if all else fails, they are prepared to go in and extract their citizens with elite forces, willing to lose two men rather than leave the one man behind. It is believed that loyalty is defined as the attribute of being loyal, the feeling of allegiance, and the act of committing oneself intellectually or emotionally to a path of action.

Does loyalty matter when it comes to leadership?

The difference between good and successful leadership can be expressed in a single word: loyalty. Leadership and loyalty stride hand-in-hand. Loyalty is all about being faithful to someone or something. It is the foundation of any relationship and helps leaders build connection and consensus?with their team based on deep trust. Leaders who are loyal to their team often outperform those who are not. Like mercy, loyalty is twice blessed; it blesses the one who gives and the one who receives. The giver of loyalty must want to make the commitment and sacrifices required of it, and the recipient must be worthy of the loyalty. Like the proverbial "consideration" in contract law; loyalty is always exchanged with loyalty, and it must cost both the giver and the receiver something of value. Successful leaders appreciate the fact that loyalty is the bond that holds their team together and makes them want to come to work every morning. It’s generally said that "those who don't know the value of loyalty can never appreciate the cost of betrayal."

It takes hard work and humility to build loyalty among a team, but it’s worth the effort since it has been proven that once a leader is able to build a relationship with his team based upon deep trust, it improves bonding and commitment of the team and rapidly boosts the team’s growth and profitability. Leaders who place a high premium on building loyalty create an environment that breeds loyalty. According to John C. Maxwell, leaders must always appreciate the fact that "People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision." Loyalty among any team therefore starts with the leader, because to provoke loyalty, it is imperative that the leader be seen to be loyal.

Leaders are football coaches; they map out strategies, lead, analyses of the game, and dictate tactics. It's often their responsibility to remain above the fray and not just see the big picture but know what to do with the big picture. It’s imperative for the coach to see how all the moving parts fit together in order to make better decisions that improve the team's chances for ultimate success. One unique characteristic of successful coaches is that, they see their teams as jigsaw puzzles: "a set of numerous interlocking pieces which when assembled together produce a complete picture." They understand that although each piece of the puzzle might be unique, when fitted together, they contribute to the entire puzzle. " To them, every member of the team is unique and important, from the starting line to the reserve bench.

Leaders who exhibit loyalty are excellent communicators. Knowing what must be accomplished may seem clear in the mind of any leader, but the ability to clearly and succinctly describe what must be done?to transform ideas into results is the definition of leadership. Successful leaders are effective communicators. They are able to paint pictures with words and make them come alive. They communicate to energise and empower their base. They communicate clearly, concisely, and accurately. They know why they are communicating, what they want to communicate, when to communicate, and who they are communicating with. They appreciate the fact that their followers don’t remember what their leaders think is important, but they remember what they think is important. This is because each of their followers enters into a discussion process with ideas and feelings that will undoubtedly influence their understanding of the message, and their response. Successful leaders therefore have one goal when it comes to communication; they leave no one behind.

Leaders who exhibit loyalty believe in synergy and the fact that harmony does not always mean singing in unison. They understand that their team will not be made up of only sharp shooters, so they mentor all team members to turn their weaknesses into strengths and their strengths into unique selling or value propositions. This helps team members gain new skills to increase their ability to achieve the leader's goal. Another unique thing about leaders is that they create the overall strategies of their teams as well as the team's key performance indicators. They also set the context within which members of their team are evaluated. This privilege enables them to decide what is best for each of the team members, and who will have access to which resource. It also enables them to know which team member will make the first eleven and which team member will sit on the bench to be used as a strategic replacement in changing the game.

What successful leaders who are loyal to their team have that good leaders don’t have is that, they understand that success without a successor is a failure. They also appreciate that the true measure of a successful leader is the success of his successor. Successful leaders have foresight, they understand that they will eventually leave their current job and are mindful of how and in whose hand they will leave their jobs. They therefore prepare and mentor their successors, so as to safeguards the future of their teams and helps it avoid the turbulence associated with succession. Generally, organizations are going concerns, which means they have perpetual succession or a continued existence and therefore should be treated as if they will continue to operate indefinitely. This call for no one to be left behind. When it comes to leaderships, remaining faithful to your team is never an option but a priority. Loyalty is everything.

According to Lilo & Stitch "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind.... or forgotten."