When Loyalty Holds You Back
What Women in STEM Need to Know to Move Forward Without Guilt
You’re Loyal. That’s Not the Problem.
Most women I know in science and technology are deeply loyal — to their team, their mentors,
and the mission that brought them into the work. We stay late. We double-check the data. We
pick up the slack.
That loyalty is part of what makes working with women in STEM extraordinary.
But it’s also what can quietly hold us back.
The Hidden Cost of “Doing the Right Thing”
When companies reorganize or funding dries up, it’s often the most loyal people who feel the
impact hardest.
They believed that saying yes, working hard, and keeping things together would translate into
security or recognition.
But in fast-changing fields like biotech and tech, loyalty doesn’t always protect you. And effort
isn’t always rewarded.
As I wrote in Loyalty Is a Flawed Strategy—And It Can Cost You, loyalty without leverage can
become a liability.
How Good Intentions Become a Career Stall
It usually starts small:
You want to see a project through
You don’t want to leave your team short-handed
You tell yourself you’ll look around after the next milestone
Then one quarter turns into four.
And when you finally lift your head, you realize:
You’ve stopped being visible outside your current role.
Women are especially prone to this because we’re often conditioned to be reliable — the ones
who steady the ship, not rock it. That makes us trusted.
But it can also make us stuck.
The Career Math No One Teaches
Every job is a two-way agreement.
You bring skill, energy, and judgment.
The company offers opportunity, growth, and learning.
That balance only works if both sides keep showing up.
If you’ve outgrown your role or your organization can’t support what’s next, staying out of
loyalty isn’t selfless.
It’s self-limiting.
How to Be Loyal — and Still Lead
Here’s how to shift loyalty from reflex to strategy:
Redefine what loyalty means
It doesn’t mean staying no matter what.
It means doing your best while you’re there — and leaving well when it’s time.
Track your growth, not just your output
Are you still learning, influencing, and stretching?
If not, your loyalty may be keeping you comfortable, not progressing.
Invest in relationships beyond your company
In science and tech, visibility is not vanity — it’s optionality.
Reconnect with former colleagues. Show up at events. Say yes to a panel or a coffee chat.
Plan your exit like a project
Leave cleanly. Document your handoff. Say thank you.
Industries like ours have long memories. Protect your reputation and leave doors open.
I go deeper into this in Everyone Talks About Making a First Impression—But What About Your
Last One? and in my Leave Well Resource Page.
Final Thought
Women in STEM are redefining what leadership looks like.
But that shift starts internally — by rethinking what it means to be “loyal.”
Staying committed to your work doesn’t mean staying stuck.
Loyalty is a strength when it’s conscious.
It’s a trap when it’s automatic.
So keep being the one who cares deeply — just make sure that care includes yourself.
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Angela Justice, Ph.D. is a leadership coach and former biotech executive. She helps women in
STEM lead with clarity, leave well, and land what’s next — with science-informed coaching
grounded in real-world experience. Visit her website for practical tools and insider strategies.