I talked to a friend of mine not too long ago and asked how he was doing. He wasn’t doing that great. He told me that he had just gotten to his desk after a very long walk. This guy is a CEO of a small manufacturing plant, and the business had been struggling. He had just had to lay off about 250 people because orders had dried up.

My friend is a tough leader, but he absolutely loves his team. He told me that when he drove into the parking lot that morning, seeing all those empty spaces really got to him. He decided at that moment that he was going to park in the back of the parking lot every morning. That way, he’d have to walk past those 250 empty parking spots every day as a reminder of what his job was—to get his team back to work. He remained loyal to them even when they weren’t in the building anymore. This guy is a true leader.

Leaders appear to be in short supply, though. I recently read a study from the Conference Board, a business research group, that showed less than half (45 percent) of American workers are satisfied with their jobs. In another poll, only 44 percent of small-business employees reported feeling a very strong sense of loyalty to their employer. That means more than half are just there to collect a paycheck, and they’d most likely jump ship at the drop of a hat.

Do you know why most employees aren’t loyal to their company? I think it’s because their leaders aren’t loyal to them. There are way too many “bosses” in the world and not nearly enough “leaders.” There’s a big difference. All a “boss” will ever have is employees—mindless, heartless, passionless, clock-punching zombies collecting a paycheck. But a “leader” can inspire something totally different—a passionate, involved, active, purpose-driven army of team members.

If you want to create loyalty in your business, you’ve got to remember that loyalty flows from the top down. That means you have to be loyal to them first. Here are three ways we do that around our place:

Rule 1: Live by the Golden Rule

The simplest, most obvious way to build loyalty is to follow the Golden Rule: “Treat others as you would want to be treated.” Brilliant, right? Who knew you could get a business degree from Sunday school?

Here’s the heart of the Golden Rule in business: When you would expect to be praised, praise. When you would expect a raise, give one. If you would expect some grace, show grace. When you would expect a reprimand, do it promptly and privately, because that is what you would want. This is so simple, but it’s impossible to do if you only treat your team members as units of production. They’re people, no different than you. Treat them that way.

Rule 2: Demonstrate Fanatical Integrity

You have to be a person of your word. Your “yes” must mean yes and your “no” must mean no. Obviously, this means you’ve got to be extra careful with what you say. Early on, for example, I put myself in a bind by not thinking through some compensation structures with our early hires. Over time, some people’s pay got really disproportionate, but I had made a commitment, so I kept my word and only changed the terms with the individuals’ full support and agreement. Now, our team members know that good or bad, their leaders will follow through with what they say.

Integrity comes from consistency, as well. If you’re a leader, that means you have to treat everyone the same, and that you react the same way every time in every similar situation—in a predictable, positive, and proactive manner. If your team knows and trusts in advance how you will respond on matters of principle, values, and culture, they’ll follow you anywhere.

Rule 3: Get to Know Your Team Members

People only allow themselves to be led when they feel valued and are treated with respect. One of the best ways to do that is by just getting to know your team. A few years ago, when we had grown to over 250 team members, I accidentally called someone by the wrong name. It was no big deal to her, but it really bothered me. That day, I had my assistant make flashcards with the picture, name, and job title of every single team member because I was determined to never let that happen again. If I don’t even know their names, why should they follow me? I owe it to them to get to know them, and so do you.

Celebrate the good times and mourn the bad ones with them. Share their dreams. If your organization is too big for you to accomplish all of these goals, delegate that to your leaders and make sure they know what’s happening with each member of their team.

You can’t win in business if you’re wasting all your energy dragging an unmotivated team behind you. I promise, if you take the time to invest in your team and show them how much you care about them, they won’t just follow you; they’ll actually push you forward into bigger, better, and more profitable success.

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Dave Ramsey is one of America’s most trusted voices on money and business and the author of three New York Times best-selling books: "Financial Peace," "More Than Enough," and "The Total Money Makeover." His latest book, "EntreLeadership," releases on September 20, 2011. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 4.5 million listeners each week on more than 450 radio stations. Follow him on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at DaveRamsey.com.