Is there a difference between loyalty and responsibility?

Is there a difference between loyalty and responsibility?

In one of my mastermind groups, one of the members discussed some potentially life changing decisions he would be making in the next few month.

These decisions would impact many people and depending on his decision, some not positively.

When he was asked what was important to him as he decided, he discussed loyalty. As we explored his description of loyalty I realized he was describing my definition of responsibility.

I can be loyal yet not chose to be responsible. I can be responsible and not be loyal.

I am not sure which is more correct – him feeling loyal or responsible.

It was true that he was responsible for whatever decisions he made but was the decisions he made come from a sense of loyalty or responsibility.

Dictionary.com define loyalty as the state or quality of being loyal; 1. Faithfulness to commitments or obligations. 2. Faithful adherence to a sovereign, government, leader, cause, etc. 3. An example or instance of faithfulness, adherence, or the like: a man with fierce loyalties.

Dictionary.com defines responsibility as 1. The state or fact of being responsible, answerable, or accountable for something within one’s power, control, or management.

I am thinking he has confused being accountable and being faithful.

This is a hard concept for me. Do you make decisions from loyalty or responsibility and if so how do you distinguish between the two?

Do you have the same understanding when making personal decisions and business decisions?

 

Sincerely,

 

Ron Finklestein
www.businessgrowthexperience.com

Ron Finklestein is an accomplished Sales Training Coach and Consultant for small businesses. Professional and public speaker. International business author.

About Ron Finklestein

Ron Finklestein is an accomplished Sales Training Coach and Consultant for small businesses. Professional and public speaker. International business author.

Comments

  1. Brian Doud says

    You can show responsibility for people you do not even know and so could not be loyal to them. Isn’t loyalty more a relationship word, and responsibility more an ethical word? Of course, you can make decisions and act from both in any given situation. You are quite right that we can be loyal but not responsible. You could also re responsible even though loyalty did not enter into the decision. I hope he makes his decisions from both!

  2. Beautiful article distinguishing loylty and responsibility.
    I will be oblige if you elobrate this in business decision.
    If possible gice case study ,which you come across.

    • An associate was looking to change jobs and he knows if he changes jobs the existing firm he works for will go under in two years. Is he staying out of loyalty or responsibility?

  3. When you are responsible you are being loyal… when you are responsible you’re making others response able.

  4. Hi Ron,

    When I think of responsibility I first think of myself, my personal actions and deeds.

    When I think of loyalty, I think of someone or something outside of myself, to which I feel responsibile to. A great question to ponder Ron!

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