Stand by me...

My generation grew up with Old West stories and movies where loyalties were earned and treasured. It’s a theme that resonates in life and business and makes us yearn for the days of strong personalities, handshakes and commitments, the things that loyalties are built and based on. One doesn’t, however, want to get carried away with either too much or misplaced loyalties and abandon integrity or common sense: keeping your eyes wide open is always a smart practice. And you also don’t want to turn your back on loyalty in search of some shiny new penny: the grass is rarely greener someplace else. But if you know what you want and are looking for, are honest in assessing the give and take that goes on in all facets of our lives, and genuinely act in an ethical and humble manner, you’ll most likely find and give loyalty in appropriate measures. This is generally true with family, friends, and work relationships both in normal times and in these crazy Covid-19 times. Good leaders know this and work hard to build working relationships that are mutually beneficial, and which create loyalty. Thus, when you find it, remember that the whole point of loyalty is to appropriately stick with those who genuinely stick with you. The result is two-way trust and respect, the kind you can always count on. Don’t settle for anything less today.

Larry McMurtry (born 1936): American novelist, essayist, bookseller, and screenwriter whose work is predominantly set in either the Old West or in contemporary Texas.