Leadership Theory Part 1: Sources of Authority
Time to move from the essentials of leadership to theory.
Most research into leadership development is unreliable because the intent is to support the multibillion dollar leadership development educational industry. I give it the same credibility as the science behind infomercial products.
There is no hard science behind these posts. They are based on my reading, experience, and mentors who shaped me. My upcoming leadership class uses some of the greatest leaders of all time to explore leadership theory.
Leadership is adaptive. It is an intelligent process requiring us to generalize our knowledge, capabilities, and emotional intelligence to a massive range of problems.
I am sorry. This is an art. I struggle with and hate that. The research methodologies provide no higher confidence than experience. I believe in what I have done, seen done, and been taught to do. Leadership theory is fuzzy, beanbag thinking.
The evidentiary support is weak. The track record of exceptional leaders is undeniable. Let’s begin.
Authority: Leadership and Power
Authority is a foundational construct. Authority answers the questions:
Why do people follow leaders?
What can leaders do to attract and retain followers?
Are there common sources of authority?
The dynamics between leadership and power are complex. Followers appreciate great leadership. Some do not want a third party to have power over them. Others enjoy the sense of certainty and routine external control brings to their work or personal lives. Power is control. Leadership is something more nuanced.
People migrate towards leaders who provide more than control as they age and become more capable. People rebel against controlling leaders cyclically as they mature. They question authority in the process of defining and redefining their identity. Followers move from externally motivated to internally motivated. They articulate their needs instead of allowing needs to be dictated to them.
I will dive into why we choose to become followers in a later post. Let’s start with the difference between authority and control.