think he is a bully. I also wrote that Rutgers showed a lack of leadership from
the Athletic Director and others. Today, I see that Rutgers has fired the coach,
Mike Rice, a much overdue action. They say that they did not fire him earlier
because they had hoped he would change his ways. I can understand that he might
be able to curb his bullying and stop making homophobic remarks. I just do not
see how he could change his attitude about sexual orientation. Now we must wait
for the fall out. Why was he hired? Surely, he was a bully in his last position.
Why was he not fired earlier? The answers reflect on the judge of the Athletic
Director. Rutgers officials should read my e-book, Leadership for New Managers:
Book Two. Below is an excerpt.
b. Loyalty
Loyalty can mean loyalty to the organization, to family, friends, or to something. To create strong organizations, superiors, associates, and peers must embrace loyalty. Good departments build loyalty and trust by treating associates with respect and threating them fairly. Loyalty and trust are extremely critical for the successful day-today operations of all organizations. Most associates do not
believe that any organization has true loyalty to its employees. Most companies will say that their employees are their “most valuable assets”, because it is politically correct to do so, but when profits fall, these same companies will begin to lay off workers. Why would a company divest itself of its “most valuable assets?” Some do not have layoffs and have done very well in the long
term. Workers will repay that type of loyalty with greater production and loyalty to customers and the organization.
One company that did not lay off workers in the recent recession was Andreas Stihl AG and Company, manufacturer of the world’s bestselling chainsaw. Employees have returned Stihl’s loyalty with their loyalty, low turnover, and high quality production.
Associates do develop strong loyalty toward each other and many times to their immediate leader rather than to the organization. This is the type of loyalty that leader/managers can build on.
Loyalty to family can be a powerful value. In many cultures, it is a primary value. Placing the family above all else may result in narcissistic behavior and is the basis of revenge. However, we feel about it, it does exist and leader/managers need to be aware of it. It is not necessarily a negative value.
As a director in a long-term care facility, a number of my associates had relatives on the staff: husbands and wives, parents and children, etc. Whenever I had a problem with a family member, a word with the appropriate family elder usually corrected the problem. Associates who are related and work together, usually have a low turnover rate and few disciplinary issues. Leader/managers must keep these family relationships in mind when considering terminating a family member.
Terminating one member of the family might cause the rest to walk.
Loyalty to friends and co-workers is the basic value behind peer pressure. We learn it in childhood and as we mature, it stays with us. Most people are concerned about what their peers think about them. In an organization, it compels associates to conform to group norms. However, it also prevents associates from identifying others who violate organizational policies or regulations. No one likes a “snitch.” This type of loyalty is usually stronger than loyalty to the organization.