“You’re fired!” — if those words are uttered over legal violations, they are completely acceptable. Firing somebody for a lack of competence is understandable, common practice, even.

But how about firing someone for a lack of loyalty?

It’s a timely question. The spotlight is shining intensely on the Trump administration and the president’s expectation that people who work within it should be completely loyal to him. Meanwhile, in corporate circles, a similar question of loyalty is brewing.

Should a CEO be loyal to shareholders and their desire for quick returns, or to ensuring the long-term health of the business? Shareholder-friendly capital allocations may boost earnings, but they can also cut future growth prospects, which creates a crisis of loyalty for many CEOs.

The loyalty debate doesn’t end there, and it’s not just about shareholders or company growth. Questions over allegiance may begin at the top of the tree with the CEO, but they trickle all the way down, permeating every level of an organisation and extending to each employee.

The corporate world may have transformed dramatically over the years, but where this virtue is concerned, little has changed.

The concept of loyalty, in one form or another, has existed since time immemorial. Long ago, knights pledged loyalty to their kings and queens and serfs offered allegiance to their lords in exchange for plots of land to toil. Throughout history, at the extreme, loyalty has made the difference between life and death.

Of course, in today’s corporate life, employees needn’t fear for their lives if their loyalty to the boss wavers. However, where allegiances in the workplace are weak, the impact on companies and their leadership can be severe, and debates over where loyalties should lie and how they should be expressed still rage on.

One argument, which I’m inclined to side with, is that the chain of command shouldn’t be questioned. Loyalty to the boss is required. If you can’t support your boss, then you should think about finding a new one.

You may be thinking: “Wait — isn’t everyone entitled to his or her opinion?” Yes, but that doesn’t justify calling a press conference to say what’s on your mind or spewing your opinion over social media. Having your own opinion is important and valued by bosses as long as you remain loyal.

Declaring to your team that you disagree with the boss as an act of defiance is unacceptable. If you can’t be loyal, fire yourself.

On the other hand, if you’re the boss, you have the right to expect devotion from your employees. For that to happen, however, you must be loyal in return. Faithful allegiance isn’t a positional guarantee.

‘Followership’ can’t be taken for granted.

It takes two to create a circle of loyalty. Just as in any other circle, where all points on a plane are equidistant from the centre, commitment in the circle of loyalty comes from everyone involved in equal measure; all are interconnected.

Within the circle, you feel part of the system, safe in the knowledge that your leader has your best interests at heart. Leadership without loyalty can become tyrannical. With it, leadership becomes collaborative and caring.

In a highly functional circle, you owe loyalty and your employees owe it back. It is bidirectional. Think of it as two one-way streets, rather than a single two-way street.

Here, both parties focus on demonstrating loyalty rather than receiving it. They don’t keep score. This is the basis of collaboration — working together.

This kind of loyalty means being devoted and deeply dedicated to somebody else, even to a cause or an idea. It means being truly faithful, rather than being transactional — doing what you need to in order to get what you want — or transient, which amounts to temporary loyalty.

In your own life — whether as a member of a family, a leader in a corporate corridor, or a role model for society — are you a billboard for loyalty? If not, you should be.

As a leader, you need to be the one to model loyalty if you want your people to do so in return. So, walk down your one-way street and focus on giving, not getting.

The point is very clear: focus on what you can control… on being loyal. Don’t let someone else’s lack of loyalty lead you to be disloyal. Instead say “you’re fired” and sever the relationship.

The writer is a CEO coach and author of “Leadership Dubai Style”. Contact him at tsw@tommyweir.com