The other day I was talking to someone about management and leadership, and we got to talking about authority. While we agreed on the harmfulness of petty bosses, the person I was talking to said something like:
“It’s no longer in line with the values of a responsible company, and authoritarian people have no place in it. It’s a management style that has no place in 2024”.
I understand perfectly what he meant, but I don’t agree at all with the way it was said.
In fact, in the same sentence, he mixed two notions that have nothing to do with each other: authority and authoritarianism.
Authoritarianism, the hallmark of a bad manager
Authoritarianism is when a person or group of people exercise power exclusively and brutally, imposing views and decisions without discussion or the slightest questioning. It’s also part of a form of management by fear.
“I don’t care what you think, I’ve decided that’s the way it’s going to be and you’re going to obey and carry it out”.
A person is entrusted with powers and, without always abusing them, exercises them with a kind of absolutism.
Indeed, this is one of the characteristics of the small boss and the tyrant of the open space, and yes, it does wreak havoc in the workplace.
Firstly, because decisions taken unilaterally, without discussion or collaboration, are rarely the best ones.
Secondly, because of the impact this type of behavior has on people: fear, disengagement, mistrust, with the ultimate stage being resignation when it’s not depression.
We’ve seen better ways of maintaining a calm corporate climate.
Authority or the expression of leadership
For me, demonstrating authority or having authority is just the opposite.
Indeed, authority is not seen in the way a person acts , but in the way their action is perceived by others.
When a person with authority speaks or makes a decision, we listen and follow them, not because we can’t argue, but because we trust them. She imposes herself without having to raise her voice, threaten or inspire fear.
In fact, she often listens beforehand, but when she’s made up her mind, no one argues. That’s because she’s listened beforehand, but not only that.
Moreover, a person is said to have authority, to be an authority. Unlike authoritarianism, where you look at how the person acts, authority is seen in the eyes of others rather than in the person’s behavior.
Sometimes it doesn’t even need a title or to be entrusted with powers: it’s natural, because authority isn’t something you have or something you do or something given to you by the company, but something that those over whom authority is applied give to you. You have authority because others acknowledge it.
What are its sources? Depending on the case and the individual, it can be charisma, unquestionable knowledge or expertise, a management style…
It’s a way of expressing leadership: we follow the person as a matter of course, on our own.
In fact, I’ve often found that the more authority a person has, the calmer and more participative their management style is, because they’re not afraid of discussion, and perhaps that’s precisely what makes them so easy to follow, because their decision-making process is open and clear.
You’re authoritarian when you have no authority
But, conversely, what are the sources of authoritarianism? Some will tell you it’s a character trait, but I think it goes deeper than that. There is a reason or reasons for this trait.
The simplest way to explain it is to invoke a lack of authority. No charisma, little or no legitimacy, knowledge or expertise, whether this is true or not.
True or not, a person is often authoritarian because they think they’re illegitimate. They think they’re not up to the job, that the suit is too big for them, that they don’t have enough skills, and so they’re afraid of discussion and think they can only impose themselves by force.
It doesn’t matter if it’s totally unfounded, it ‘s the idea they have of themselves that counts. It’s often the result of a lack of self-confidence, and it’s precisely this self-confidence that needs to be worked on if an authoritarian person is to get back on the right side of the force.
I sometimes hear of someone that, over time, he has softened his management style, become more open, more willing to listen. In most cases, it’s not so much that he has changed, but that he has gained self-confidence over time and are now aware of his qualities.
So, no, authority isn’t something outdated or out of step with the values of a modern company. On the contrary, we need people with authority. As for authoritarian people, we need to help them build up their confidence, or we need to ask ourselves whether they are in fact wrong and out of place in this position.
Image : authority de StunningArt via Shutterstock
