I stand by you, you stand by me. Leaders always have an unwritten contract with their members where both parties will be there watching each others back.
During the question and answer portion of the last general assembly in our company an inquiry written on paper was read, asking how management would feel if a leader or a senior manager within the group resigns.
This is not news to merit my attention and questions like this are generally answered by assuring employees the company is doing their best to keep their people; but what grabbed my ears was when the senior manager reminded us that we should not feel bad or have the itch to resign just because our leader moved on even if he is someone we admire and look up to.
Experience in point
I remembered my experience in a previous company where our partner in the consulting division is rumored to retire after his scheduled bypass surgery. I was puzzled because the sudden turn of events had everyone talking about leaving the company once our main man successfully undergo a bypass surgery and retire. True enough, 80 percent of the people from one of the largest divisions of the company resigned in less than two months.
I was with the group for less than a year and was only in my second year of professional work after college; but I have already experienced how much loyalty members have for their leader and I doubt I’ll be working with someone like him again in the near future.
The unwritten contract
Whenever a member starts to recognize, respect and follow his leader, an unwritten contract is created between the two of them. The member knows he has to be a good soldier watching the back of his leader while the leader on the other hand knows he has to take care of his people at all times.
Leaders have bigger responsibility on the contract and are accountable for more people than himself. A leader should be a good example at all times and the team’s contract states that their leader should always be there for them, as strong and steadfast as possible, and doing the right thing for the best interest of the team.
Case in point
We have seen in the news how CEOs of large corporations have caused their businesses to plummet and are at the center of lawsuits for insider trading, malpractice, and illegal activities far from the best interest of their people.
Always be aware
Before doing something foolish that is not for the best interest of the team, think about the contract with your team, the lifetime consequences could even be harsher than a lawsuit from a written contract.
What You Ought to Know About the Unwritten Contract of Leadership
