Have you ever observed and admired a couple who have been married for multiple decades?  You know the ones I mean.  Their relationship runs smoothly as a perfectly balanced, well-oiled machine.  Not a vibration of discord is present, even when challenges confront that indomitable team of two.  They’ve mastered the recipe of making a team, in this case, their marriage, function at the highest level.  And I suspect that the rules and laws of success that work for them are equally applicable to teams in the workplace.

I’ve been thinking of late about things on the opposite end of that harmonious spectrum.  There’s discord in politics, corporate America has seemingly run amok, and chaos seems to be gaining ground everywhere.  When we obviously know how to create a better world, why don’t we?  Sometimes, this magical and mystical universe in which we live serendipitously orchestrates answers to our questions.  And I recently had a new book come my way that sheds light on the path to creating that better world, in our homes, our jobs and businesses, in politics, and in the world.  A world based on loyalty.

Loyalty: A Concept Worth Reviving

In short, “The Loyalist Team: How Trust, Candor, and Authenticity Create Great Organizations” is a very worthwhile read.  The product of a team of authors, this is a resource for those who are sick and tired of the in-it-for-me attitude so commonly experienced in today’s business world.   They show you how to create what they’ve called the loyalist team.  What’s a loyalist team?  In their own words:

They are loyal to one another, the team, and the larger organization.  These individuals work to ensure each other’s success as they work to assure their own. They run toward the tough conversations, not away, and refuse to let each other fail.

Who wouldn’t want to be part of that kind of team?  Pick up the book, and learn how to make your team into a Loyalist Team.

Originally posted here.