Authority is given (and can be taken back at any time)

One thing I didn’t understand until recently about how we organize ourselves in organizations is that authority is given. Authority is given to people so they can use it for good. Authority is the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.

Authority (noun) is the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.

We are all professionals, citizens and we can all think for ourselves but sometimes it is necessary to use force to make decisions and enforce them. It can be inefficient to keep on discussing with large groups. Sometimes it’s not entirely clear what the best option is and we need someone to decide so things keep on moving. Sometimes free thinking and not abiding the agreed on rules is counter-productive and rules need to be enforced for the greater good. Humans function best if they are organized. In fact, one could argue that humans are the dominant animal on this planet right now because of our ability to organize ourselves. And some of the most efficient ways of organizing use some for of authority.

Authority is a service

I used to take authority for granted, see it as a fact. And I still think a lot of people see it that way. But I found it useful to understand that authority is a service. Authority is given to a person or a group so they can provide the service of making decisions, distributing them in the form of orders and use force if necessary to enforce the decisions. It’s a service to the people that work and live under the authority. No one human has the right to tell another person what to do unless we give that person that authority. In the days of old, people made up the story that authority was granted to a king by God to avoid discussions and people questioning the authority. But also in the days of old, people would revoke the authority that was given to a person by killing that person. Now we are a little more civilized but we still have issues with authority.

“No one human has the right to tell another person what to do unless we give that person that authority.”

The problem with authority

The problem with giving someone authoritative power is that that person must be trusted to make decisions that are for the greater good. In the best case, this person is wise enough to make decisions. If a person is given authority by God, this can be problematic. This person might not be the wisest person and decisions might be detrimental to the people under that authority. Today, God given authority is not so common but in organizations, people are still given an authority by other people with authority. A higher power so to say. Deciding to give someone in an organization authority is also an authoritative decision. Many people desire this power. And one of the goals of someone in power is to keep the power, to protect the power. People in power have the right to exercise force and this is where it becomes tricky. Is everybody on board with the people that are given authority? Is that force used for the greater good or for personal reasons? With (great) power comes (great) responsibility. We are humans so abuse of power is a reality. We are humans so thinking that we deserve this authority somehow is a reality.

There is a solution

Authority can create a lot of tension. Authority creates inequality. People can feel like they are forced to do things that they don’t want to do. People are tempted to use the power they are given for personal benefit. The way I see it, there are two things that can prevent problems with authority and can make the service of authority more effective. It’s a service so it should be designed in a way that it works best for all. That requires two basic elements:

• The first thing that is important is that the person who is given authority realizes that it is a gift and that the purpose is to serve the people under the authority.
• The second thing that is important is that for the people under the authority there usually is a way out. I’m not saying all power relationships can be escaped but maybe a lot more than we think. Authority can be revoked in more cases than we think.

Taking back authority

Revoking authority can take a couple of forms:

• One way is to work around it. If people don’t think the authority serves their best interest, there are usually ways to avoid the authority. A lot of people carve out a authority-free zone where they can do their own thing and make their own decisions. Some people call this flying under the radar or avoiding the hairball. This is a relatively harmless way of taking back authority.
• Another way to to oppose the authority. If the authority decides something with which people don’t agree, they can protest. They can protest against the decisions or against the people who have authority. Sometimes protesting helps but the people in a position of authority might feel challenged in their authority and might not be happy about that. So this strategy can backfire in the long run because the people in authority might be out for revenge, especially if you are right and they lost face. We are humans so holding grudges is a reality.
• A strategy that is also tricky is ignoring the authority and the decisions made by it. In a situation where people are professionals and work autonomously, ignoring authority is often used. People just do their own thing. This is not nice for the authority and if the authority feels embarrassed by this, they might use force. You need to have moved yourself into an untouchable position to get away with this. But if you managed this, you can forget about getting authority yourself because you placed yourself outside the game. This is different from working around authority because it a way of opposing authority. You don’t criticize it directly but you just ignore it. This can feel more aggressive than opposing.
• The last step is to revoke the authority completely. If it is not possible to separate the authority from the person that has it, the only option is walking away. In more cases than we think, this is an option. If you walk away, the authority immediately is gone. There is no more right to use force. This can be frustrating for the authority, especially if they are trying to use for to tell you what to do. This is one of the main reasons leave jobs. Not because they don’t like the work but because it is led by bad bosses, bad authority. This of course is personal. What is good authority for one person can be bad for another. Choosing a place to work, is also choosing what authority to accept.

Leadership and authority

This is from the perspective of the person under authority. I think it is useful for making authority as a service work to look at the other side as well. If you are given some for of authority and realize it is a gift given to you to serve, it’s good to know the other side. Not everyone will agree with your decisions so people will exhibit some form of taking back authority to some extend. Some might just accept the decision even if they don’t agree but there will always be some form of opposition. This is part of the authority game, part of leadership:

• If people want to work around your authority, give them space. People are autonomous and can think for themselves. Not everything needs to be decided by the authority. In the best case, people will ask you for your decision. The best use of authority is not to use it.
• If people oppose the authority, listen. They might be right. Don’t assume you know everything and be open to learning. It’s a mistake to think that now that you have been given authority that you all of a sudden know the answer to everything. Co-create as much as possible without becoming inefficient. Don’t walk away from complexity or try to simplify everything only because otherwise you cannot manage. Sit with the discomfort of complexity and be open.
• If people ignore the authority, go and talk to them. Be pro-active. Find out what is bothering them and find out how you can best serve them. Don’t feel insulted. Realize that they might have valid reasons. See it as an opportunity to learn and co-create better authority. There is usually a lot of slack in decisions. Accept that not every last person needs to be on board. See using force as a sign of weakness not of strength.
• If people walk away, let them walk away. Be gracious about it. Respect the decision and create an opportunity to learn from this for all parties involved. Realize that authority is given to you by this person and it is their right to take it back. Congratulate them on the courage it takes to walk away. Realize this is often a tough decision to make, a last resort.

The authority game

Both parts of the authority game need to be played well for it to work. Everyone needs to know the rules of the game, the goal and the options that all have who are in the game.

I love the Product Owner model of authority. The Product Owner is part of the team and not above it as in most authority models. Everyone has ownership in an Agile team. The Product Owner is not a boss or a manager but is leadership as a service. The Product Owner can be called upon to make a decision. The Product Owner co-creates the vision with all stakeholders. All people in the Agile team work autonomously, decisions on how to develop features are co-created and the decision of the Product Owner is only requested if it serves the team. In retrospectives all things can be addressed, also the role of the Product Owner, everything is up for debate and if the Product Owner doesn’t serve the team, this is discussed and needs to be improved in the next sprint.

Thank you for taking the time to read this essay. I hope you enjoyed it. If you clap for this essay, I will know I connected with you. If you follow me here on Medium, you will see more essays pop up on your Medium homepage. You can also subscribe to an email service here on Medium which will drop new essays right into your inbox. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn to see new articles in your timeline or chat with me there.