Loyalty is more important to me than any immediate monetary gain. Loyalty, in business, generates money more often times than not. Money is a byproduct to a business built on integrity. It should be assumed that some level of success will be reached because THAT IS WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THERE!

A perfect example of that is startups - some with the promise to succeed, but lack the inner-stability that comes only with loyal PEOPLE (aka the pillars) that value integrity.

Big companies lose their best talent that is poached by other companies. Why? Because there was no loyalty within the organization. Not just for the person who quit - it's a two way street as you said - so the company itself obviously lacks loyalty as well. That means the company lacks integrity if they are losing their best talent to competitors, to me at least.

Far too many of us make ultimatums; "I will be loyal when ______ and only if _____."

When I work with companies, I must be sure that we are aligned in our goals and that integrity is intact. Trust is something I give everyone for a trial period and there's one chance to destroy that. I like to say "I forgive, but I never forget." It takes a total lack of loyalty and respect to destroy that trust, so those who lose it never deserved it anyhow.

Working for a company or in the company of people that have no integrity/loyalty is a cancerous endeavor. Difficult and unfavorable circumstances usually identify that in a hurry!

This is what I personally consider to be the most important aspect of a successful business. The loyalty proven through integrity among the people in a business.

Amen, brother!