Formal Authority: Do You Even Need It?
Anyone who has thought “if only I had more authority, I could get things done around here,” has either been (or will be) let down to find out that this is not the case. As one Forbes author said, “Great leadership has very little to do with how much formal authority one has. Yet, most people complain about not having enough authority to make a difference.”
While formal authority means you are entitled to make decisions, delegate, and manage conflicts, it’s not that simple. Competing priorities, relationships, alliances, historical precedence, cultural norms, and a seemingly endless stream of opinions will complicate matters, making it near impossible for you to make decisions at will without some type of consequence.