Authority And Authority: The Source Of Authority

The source of authority

One of the core elements bosses and leaders share is the fact they both have authority. Authority, which is defined as “the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience”, is key to a position of power, but the two roles differ in how they achieve this right and the ways they continue to hold on to it.

The boss gets his or her authority from the position. It is the spot in the hierarchy of the workplace providing authority. In essence, a boss is an authority figure because of a title. Anyone that is higher in the so-called workplace hierarchy can be a boss. Therefore, anyone that gets into a position of hierarchy, where other employees have less authority or power, will become a boss. The authority

In fact, a title doesn’t make anyone a leader and you can show leadership even if you are lower in the workplace hierarchy. A leader has authority over subordinates because the subordinates hand it to him or her. They do this because they believe in the leader’s ability to take charge and change things around. In essence, a leader can get authority because they are able to communicate their vision and inspire others to follow. You could view it through an example of a politician, who gets elected because the message resonates with the voters. A leaders authority is often something that requires reinforcement and real evidence. In order to maintain his or her authority, the leader has to provide results and continue to motivate the subordinates. If the subordinates lose trust in the leader, he or she will most likely have to find a new way to communicate or leave. The leader will have authority, but this authority is not emphasised or used to create an unequal work environment. In fact, the leader will treat the subordinates equally, not based on any title or position. His or her own authority of power doesn’t put him or her in a special position within the team.

Authority might not seem as important to a leader than to a boss, but you can’t perform in either of these roles without clear authority. To understand the importance of authority in leadership, the below YouTube video explains well why

A leader will be interested in the opinion of the subordinate and generally, focuses on ensuring communication is based on discussion. Collaboration and feedback are typically the building blocks of a leader’s communication style. A good leader should focus on emotional intelligence and the ability to not only to speak, but also to listen what the subordinate is saying. Since the focus on leadership is to change things, the communication is often more about inspiring the subordinates and leading by example. A leader doesn’t tell, “Do this”, but focused more on showing how things could or should be performed.

In terms of delegation, leaders are not only delegating responsibility, but also authority to a varying degree. A leader might give guidance on the overall objective, but allow the subordinate to figure out his or her own way to achieve it. Therefore, there is delegation in the leader’s communication as well, but it tends to be rather more in-depth form of delegation and not just a provision of tasks to do. Whereas, a boss delegates responsibility to subordinates, a leader hands out authority. Leader doesn’t feel the need to control everything, but is comfortable in giving away power to his or her