Loyalty Won’t Pay Your Bills—Performance Will
Lincoln Anthony
Transforming Operation-Focused Leaders to People-First Mindset?| People-First Leadership Expert | Intl Speaker | Helping Newly Promoted/Mid-level Leaders to Manage Burnout??& Turnover | Boost Performance & Productivity??
Let’s talk about something uncomfortable.
Too many of us were raised to believe that we'll be rewarded if we work hard, stay loyal, and put in the years.
But then reality hits.
We see colleagues, just as loyal, walk out the door during a “strategic restructuring.”
We watch high performers—who haven’t been around as long—get promoted past us.
We realize that loyalty isn’t the currency we thought it was.
?? Loyalty won’t pay your bills. Performance will.
Companies Preach Loyalty—Until It’s Inconvenient
Have you ever noticed how companies love to call themselves a “family”?
Suddenly, it’s just business.
We’ve seen it happen over and over again.
?? Remember when General Electric (GE) laid off thousands of employees despite years of loyalty?
?? Or when companies like Nokia & Kodak stuck with their old ways—only for employees to realize too late that their loyalty was misplaced?
Loyalty is conditional—but performance is undeniable.
Time Served Doesn’t Equal Value Created
Let’s be honest:
? Have you stayed in a job, hoping your loyalty would eventually be rewarded?
? Do you assume tenure equals security?
? Are you waiting for leadership to notice your hard work instead of advocating for yourself?
If so, I get it. I’ve been there.
But the game has changed.
?? The highest-paid, most successful professionals aren’t the most loyal—they’re the most valuable.
The ones who:
? Keep learning and adapting
? Speak up for what they’re worth
? Deliver undeniable results
Loyalty is Meaningless Without Growth
Staying in a job should be a choice, not an obligation.
If your company:
? Invests in your skills
? Challenges you to grow
? Pays you what you’re worth
Then staying makes sense.
But if your company:
?? Undervalues your contributions
??Doesn’t provide real career growth
??Expects loyalty without giving it back
Then staying isn’t loyalty—it’s fear of change.
A Strong question you should ask yourself:
If you had to apply for your current job today, would you still take it?
If the answer is no, it’s time to rethink what you’re staying for.
Because at the end of the day, your landlord doesn’t accept loyalty as rent. Your future self won’t thank you for staying stuck.
So, are you staying because you’re valued—or just because you’re loyal?
?? Let’s talk. Have you ever stayed somewhere too long out of loyalty? Or has loyalty actually paid off for you? Drop your thoughts below!
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— Lincoln Anthony
People-First Leadership Strategist
Transforming Operation-Focused Leaders to People-First Mindset?| People-First Leadership Expert | Intl Speaker | Helping Newly Promoted/Mid-level Leaders to Manage Burnout??& Turnover | Boost Performance & Productivity??
14 小时前Anam Waqar absolutely. Loyalty is a myth that people want to believe exists. But its usually a one way thing. Because you believe that you’re loyal, the same should apply to everyone, but it’s not so, especially in corporations. The first thing a company cuts when they want to save money is their employees. Is that loyalty? Look at what Elon Musk and Donald Trump is doing in the government. He did the same recently in his companies. This is one of the biggest mistakes companies make. Cutting people to cut costs. It doesn’t work because the minute you need people you have to rehire them and that’s costly. Companies have been in this zig zag mode for decades and no one has stopped to think, “wait a minute here, we’ve been doing this for decades and it hasn’t worked yet we keep doing it.” It madness. Loyalty is usually from employees and not the company. So employees feel let down when they get let go, but the company feels nothing. This is what happens in operations focused companies. It’s all about the bottom line. However, switching the focus to a people first approach in leadership can save companies millions of dollars, balances out the ups and downs, and maintain sustainable growth in their business.
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15 小时前Loyalty is meaning less without growth.