Be Loyal to People, Not Logos

A note to young leaders.

Be loyal to people and principle, not to companies and corporations.

Companies are legal fictions. People are real. People remember. Companies forget.

In 1999, as I wrestled with the question of whether – and when – I should leave Macquarie, I sought the wise counsel of the late John Caldon, former Deputy MD of Macquarie.

Here’s what John said to me: “You should be loyal to people, Adam, not to organisations. If the people who’ve been good to you in an organisation ask you to stay on until a particular project is finished, then you should. Other than that, you should do what Adam Geha thinks is best.”

Then, after a pause, and with a wry smile, he added: “Don’t worry too much about Macquarie. You’ll be surprised how well they’ll cope without you.”

In the end, it’s not the logos we serve that define us, but the relationships we form. Company loyalties will shift with markets and profits – but we should never forget the people who’ve been good to us.

Relationships really matter, and long term relationships matter most.