Loyalty: The Right Glue or the Hidden Termites?

Loyalty is often sold to employees like a guarantee.
“Be loyal, and you’ll be rewarded.”
“Stick with us, and we’ll stick with you.”

But loyalty — real loyalty — isn’t magic.
It’s a tool. It’s glue.
And here’s the thing about glue: If you choose the wrong kind, you don’t just risk things falling apart — you invite destruction from within.

Choosing the Wrong Glue

Pick the wrong adhesive for the wrong surface, and what happens?

The bond doesn’t hold.
Cracks start to form.
Over time, rot and ruin set in.

Loyalty works the same way.
Loyalty without trust? Wrong glue.
Loyalty without respect? Wrong glue.
Loyalty to broken leadership? Wrong glue.

And when that “wrong glue” starts to fail, it doesn’t just snap cleanly —
it festers, it molds, it invites termites to feast on whatever’s left.

When Loyalty Turns Toxic

Misplaced loyalty teaches people to:

Stay silent when they should speak up.
Cover for dysfunction instead of demanding better.
Confuse tenure with trust — thinking the longer they stay, the more honorable it must be.

In reality?
Misplaced loyalty rewards mediocrity, masks decay, and normalizes burnout.
It asks people to “be grateful” while pulling the floor out from under them.

And companies that demand loyalty without offering purpose, respect, or real investment?
They’re handing employees a leaky bottle of glue and blaming them when the house collapses.

Choose Your Glue Wisely

Good loyalty — the right glue — builds:

Cultures where honesty is rewarded.
Teams that are strong because they challenge each other, not despite it.
Workplaces that don’t fear hard questions — they thrive on them.

If the loyalty you’re being asked for feels sticky, suffocating, or suspicious?
Check the label on that glue.
If it’s not made for the reality you’re living in, it won’t hold.
And you deserve to build something that actually lasts.

The Real Test

Before you give your loyalty away, ask:

Is this glue made for what we’re building?
Or is it just covering up the cracks until the termites take over?

Choose your glue. Choose your future.