Council Post: Want Loyalty From Your Team? Here’s How To Earn It

A business is only as good as its employees. In order to thrive, you have to ensure our workers are on the same page and are willing to grow with you. A truly loyal team will stand with your business during the ups and downs and dedicate themselves to the business’s overall success.

To help you build a team that’s in it for the long haul, we asked the members of Young Entrepreneur Council for their advice. Below, they shared nine simple ways leaders can earn their team’s loyalty.

1. Just Be Human

It sounds odd, but it can be as simple as treating people like other human beings who have feelings that make a difference. Listen to them and pay attention to small details like their kids’ names and other personal events that happen throughout the time you work together. Then remember them. It shows that you do care, and oftentimes people appreciate you and stay loyal. – Meeky Hwang, Ndevr, Inc

2. Let Everyone Express Their Thoughts

Loyalty is built through time, transparency and compassion for other people’s views and beliefs. In the workplace, it is important to give everyone a fair chance at expressing their opinions and concerns. In my experience, being fair and proactive with people I work with has allowed a deep trust to be built in a relatively short amount of time. Always put yourself in the shoes of others. – Jared Polites, LaunchTeam

3. Communicate Consistently

Loyalty is hard-won and easily lost. You have to be consistent and fair. The few times that I have come close to breaking that trust is when I have not communicated the reason for my actions. Recently I had to let someone go. Some of the team did not know why and it created a sense of uncertainty for them. I sat the team down and explained my actions, and this helped rebuild the trust. – Alastair Sanderson, LFA Machines DFW LLC

4. Lead From The Front

Get your hands dirty! People always respect leaders who lead from the front, not from the back. Who’s going to feel motivated to do work that they know you wouldn’t do? One of the best ways to do this, while maintaining the right optics, is to work hands on with them on a new task until they get it. Don’t be afraid to start the task together, then hand it off. – Andy Karuza, LitPic

5. Show Kindness To All

Many leaders feel entitled to their team’s trust and loyalty, but that’s going against nature. Nothing goes for nothing. Be fair when dealing with them and show them the kindness you reserve for people in your inner circle—you know, the kind of care and trust you show without expecting anything in return. Of course, you’ll have to adapt this to your unique situation. – Samuel Thimothy, OneIMS

6. Provide Validation And Incentives For Good Work

Without a shadow of a doubt, employee satisfaction is directly linked to salary and environment. Everyone needs adequate validation for a job well done, either through incentives or even a simple gesture. A “well done” can boost one’s confidence and trust, which are both vital for employee loyalty. Knowing that your business is taken care of responsibly is a sign of successful management. – Kelly Richardson, Infobrandz

7. Focus On Inclusion

Through inclusion, motivation and participation, it is possible to not only obtain the loyalty of the employees, but also to generate their commitment. Making them feel valued and important within the team, each one in their own area, will allow them to work with focus on the objectives and enliven their sense of belonging and identity toward the company. – Kevin Leyes, Leyes Media & Team Leyes, by Leyes Enterprises

8. Put People First

The motto in our company is to “put people first.” We live by that idea every day. Some ways we make that happen is by making our team 100% remote from the start, sharing profits and giving unlimited PTO. We do see results, and one of the best things about getting on Slack is seeing the camaraderie and helpful comments going back and forth during the day. – Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

9. Be There And Listen

Leaders can earn employee loyalty by simply being there for them and showing their support. Not enough leaders are open and communicative with their team, which causes a disconnect and disrupts processes. It’s important for leaders to listen to their team with open ears and be there for them when they need it. – Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms