Authority!

I have had several powerful conversations in recent days regarding authority as a leader, so of course I thought of you and our weekly communication!  It's actually too much to fit into one message, so I'll do the first installment this week, and then will share some more thoughts next week.

To kick this off, let's start with some basic understandings.  There are two main types of authority a leader can utilize: positional authority and relational authority. If you study leadership you know this is an over-simplification, but I think these two components are a great foundation for understanding how we can use authority as leaders.

Positional Authority

This is the type of authority we have from the position we hold. Most of the time this is derived from org charts and the structure of an organization.  For example, if I am a manager, then I have positional authority over anyone who I am managing.  This authority is often based on job descriptions and titles and can include anything from approving a timecard to providing supervision, and even assigning tasks and roles for a project. At it's most basic, positional authority says, "I can lead you because of my position."

Relational Authority

This is the type of authority we have, not just from the position we hold, but from the relationship we have been able to develop with the people we are leading. This authority has been developed through the time we have spent together and the way in which I have demonstrated that you matter to me.  Hopefully, that relationship has grown in both directions so the people we are leading also care about us. In this dynamic, the authority in our roles is based primarily on our relationship, not our positions. At it's most basic, relational authority says, "I can lead you because we care about each other."

Ideally, I think it's best to primarily lead from the place of relational authority, but there are some situations where positional authority is critical. For example, relational authority takes time to develop so someone in a new leadership position may have to lean more on their positional authority at first while they continue to develop their relational authority with others. Additionally, there are times when leading significant change (especially quickly) may require a leader to rely more on positional authority, but again, that is typically only a temporary situation. For the most part, you know how much better it feels to lead and be led by someone using primarily relational authority.

What situation are you encountering right now where you need to rely on your authority to get something accomplished? Which one is better suited for the project at hand? If you need to use positional authority, how could you also work at developing the relationships along the way at the same time? Is there a hard decision you need to make, but you have a lot of relational "change in your pocket" to be able to use to help navigate that change well?

Here's to using our Authority well this week!

Be Well,

Stephen

Center was created to support individuals and teams so they can live from their Purposeful Center.  We specialize in professional coaching and leadership development and we’d love to support you!  Click on our Services page to book a free consultation.