One of the most important decisions any leader makes is deciding who joins the team and who remains part of it especially as in my case , working with limited resources .
Over the years, leading international teams and working across cultures, countries, and sectors, I have learned that hiring is rarely just about skills. Sustaining a successful organization is certainly not.
Many leaders ask a simple question:
Should I prioritize performance or loyalty?
My answer is that neither should stand alone.
In my views : The most successful organizations are built on three pillars:
Performance. Loyalty. Character.
When these three qualities come together in your team members , you will be lucky as extraordinary things happen.
When one is missing, challenges begin to emerge.
When two are missing, the organization faces serious risk with regard to their culture and performance.
The Employee Every Leader Wants
The ideal team member demonstrates:
- High performance
- High loyalty
- Strong moral character
These individuals consistently deliver results.
They support the mission of the organization.
They celebrate the success of their colleagues.
They act with integrity and high quality even when nobody is watching.
They remain committed during difficult periods, not only during successful ones.
These employees become future leaders because people trust them.
In my experience, trust is the foundation upon which influence, teamwork, long-term success and legacy are built.
Skills may open doors. Trust keeps them open.
High Performance Without Loyalty
Many organizations encounter individuals who are highly capable but not deeply committed.
They produce excellent results.
They are intelligent, ambitious, and often highly visible.
However, their commitment is primarily to themselves rather than to the mission.
These employees may leave when a better opportunity appears.
They may prioritize personal recognition over team success.
They may focus more on individual achievement than collective impact.
They are also ;
- Undermining leadership
- Being Jealous of their colleagues
- Creating internal politics
- Sharing confidential information
- Taking credit for others’ work
- Prioritizing personal interests over the organization
It is a serious problem. High Performance alone does not create culture.
Significant Results alone do not build institutions
A disloyal high performer can sometimes cause more damage than a loyal average performer because:
- Their influence is greater.
- Others follow them.
- They can weaken culture from within.
While they can create significant benefit , leaders must manage this situation
An organization built entirely around individual stars eventually becomes fragile because loyalty and shared purpose are missing.
What Should a Leader Do?
- Have an honest conversation.
- Understand the root cause.
- Is it dissatisfaction, lack of recognition, career stagnation, or simply a values or character issue?
- Try to re-engage them.
- Provide growth opportunities.
- Manage expectations.
- Reinforce the organization’s mission and culture.
- Observe behavior, not promises.
- Loyalty is demonstrated through actions, especially during difficult periods.
- If behavior does not change, be prepared to let them go.
- Never allow one high performer to damage culture, trust, and your entire team spirit.
High Loyalty Without Performance
This is often one of the most difficult situations for leaders.
The individual is trustworthy.
They care deeply about the organization.
They support their colleagues.
Their intentions are sincere.
Yet they consistently fail to deliver the level of performance required.
Leaders often hesitate because they appreciate the person’s commitment and good character , they respect him , in many cases like him.
However, loyalty cannot replace competence.
Organizations exist to fulfill missions, achieve objectives, and create impact.
Good intentions alone cannot carry an institution forward.
The responsibility of leadership is to support development, provide coaching, offer opportunities for improvement, change their work scope , explore their other interests/ strengthens and create every reasonable chance for success.
But eventually, performance standards must be respected.
Compassion should never mean lowering standards.
The Most Challenging Combination: Low Performance and Low Loyalty
In my experience, the most difficult employees are not high performers who eventually leave.
The most difficult are individuals who demonstrate both low performance and low loyalty.
This combination creates a unique challenge.
The organization receives little value from their contribution.
At the same time, the individual often resists accountability.
When expectations are discussed, excuses appear.
When feedback is provided, responsibility is shifted elsewhere.
When improvement plans are introduced, blame often replaces ownership.
The challenge becomes even greater when separation becomes necessary.
Employees with low performance and low loyalty may attempt to justify their failures by creating alternative narratives.
Instead of asking what they could have done better, they focus on explaining why their shortcomings were someone else’s fault.
In some cases, they may spread misinformation, make accusations, exaggerate events, or attempt to damage reputations.
Not necessarily because they are evil.
Often because accepting personal responsibility requires humility and a character .
This is why many leaders find these situations emotionally exhausting.
Why Letting Them Go Feels So Difficult
Many people assume that terminating a low-performing, disloyal employee should be easy.
In reality, it is often one of the hardest leadership decisions.
Not because the decision itself is unclear.
But because responsible leaders care about people.
They understand that every employment decision affects lives and families.
They want to be fair.
They want to give second chances.
They want to believe improvement is possible.
Unfortunately, prolonged tolerance of poor performance and disloyal behavior creates another problem.
It sends a message to high-performing employees.
It tells them that standards do not matter.
It tells them that accountability is optional.
It tells them that excellence and commitment are treated the same as mediocrity and indifference.
Nothing damages morale faster.
Great employees want fairness.
They want leaders who protect culture.
They want leaders who recognize contribution.
And they want leaders who have the courage to address behavior that harms the organization.
What I Look for When Hiring
Leaders hire people because they can deliver results. Skills, competence, and potential matter . But they should also assess integrity, professionalism, and alignment with organizational values.
A highly skilled person who lacks integrity can create significant damage despite delivering strong results.
When evaluating candidates, I look beyond amazing technical skills and long nice Cv full of achievements .
Skills can be developed.
Experience can be gained.
What is far more difficult to teach is character.
Competence gets people hired.
Character determines whether they remain successful.
What I Look for When Sustaining a Team
As organizations grow, loyalty becomes increasingly important.
Not blind loyalty to a leader.
But Leadership appreciation and respect
Loyalty to the mission
Loyalty to the values.
Loyalty to colleagues.
Loyalty to the purpose that unites everyone.
The strongest organizations are not built by people who simply work together.
They are built by people who genuinely want each other to succeed.
That culture cannot be created through policies and performance management reports alone.
It is created through trust.
The Leadership insight ;
After many years of leadership, I have reached a simple conclusion:
Hire for character and potential.
Develop for performance.
Retain for performance, loyalty, and integrity.
Performance drives results.
Loyalty builds trust.
Character protects both.
When all three exist together, organizations thrive.
When performance disappears, improvement is possible.
When loyalty weakens, engagement can often be rebuilt.
But when both performance and loyalty are absent, leaders must have the courage to act.
Because leadership is not only about helping people succeed, we have to be clear about this.
It is also about protecting the culture, values, and mission that allow an organization to fulfill its purpose.
After all , great institutions are not built by the most talented individuals alone.
They are built by talented people whose performance is strong, whose loyalty is genuine, and whose character remains intact even when no one is watching.
“Performance earns opportunities. Loyalty earns trust. Character earns respect. When all three come together, leaders do not simply build teams—they build legacies.”
Senator Dr Rasha Kelej
CEO of Merck Foundation
