How (Mis)Using Authority Blocks Your Leadership Impact
The World Says, "Influence = Dominate." Jesus says, "Influence = Serve."
Today is day #2 of Donald Trump’s second presidency. Some are excited that he’s back in office and optimistic about what he’ll be able to do, while others are dismayed and anxious about what’s to come. Regardless of your opinion of POTUS #47, the reality is that his election is evidence of an ever-growing social trend that we would do well to recognize—and respond to.
In This Article:
The biggest mistake with positional authority is assuming it’s equivalent to leadership influence. It is not.
Over-relying on authority is a sign that you’re motivated by fear (not courage, confidence or certainty), and that you’re NOT motivated by a purpose beyond your own interests.
The social trends are increasingly tipping toward authoritarian-style leadership; this is a moment of truth for faith-driven leaders.
Key Application:
Start using authority the way Jesus did.
One quality about Trump is evidently clear: He’s positioned himself to unquestionably be the one in authority. And he’s not shy about using the authority that comes with the position to accomplish his agenda.
Many look at this approach with alarm—and perhaps not without reason. But we should note that Trump is actually the latest exhibit of a social trend that has been developing for some time: Influence comes through domination.
And to achieve domination, everyone else has to lose.
Consider the trend in power displays shown in not just presidential debates, but things like Senate and Congressional hearings and TV news reporting interviews in the last 25 years. Even a casual observer can see that these are now more about show than substance.
As a data point, I personally remember the 1980 presidential debate between Reagan and Carter, featuring Reagan’s infamous “There you go again” quip. At the time, it set a new standard for how to counter the other side’s argument in a debate. Today, it seems pretty vanilla:
Over the next four years, I fully expect the Democrats to pivot in their presidential candidate strategy and execute a plan to out-Trump the next Republican candidate. It will be interesting to see what is talked about and how it all falls out.
The Leadership Point
Of course, power displays and leadership authority grabs are nothing new. But for faith-motivated leaders, we should be aware of this trend and be mindful not to fall into its trap.
Not only that, we should purposefully practice the alternative.
Jesus was incredibly explicit in his followers’ approach to authority in leadership:
But Jesus called [his disciples] and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20.25-28 NET)
It is my observation and conviction that Jesus’ followers today still have a ways to go in practicing this effectively, primarily because we simply do not understand it.
We don’t know how to think, behave and influence others from the identity of being a servant/slave. We have precious few models of it. And since most of the structures and processes in our society don’t promote servant leadership, it is distinctly counter-cultural.
Added to that is the reality that human nature, in general, is self-focused. It’s only through spiritual maturity that we can break free of our natural gravity that keeps us in orbit around our own self-interests.
So getting to servant leadership—first as an identity, and second as an intentional leadership behavior—takes intentional effort.
I hope to convince you that it’s a goal worth pursuing. But even more, I hope you can be convinced that maximizing your influence through serving others makes more sense than capping it through domination.
The Big Mistake
The biggest mistake with leveraging positional authority is assuming it’s equivalent to leadership influence. It is not.
Using the authority that comes with your title/position/status to control the activity and well-being of others may look like influence, but it’s actually fear-based insecurity. And it’s the weakest excuse for leadership you’ll ever see.
Think of it this way: whether you’re a CEO, parent, pastor or boss, which has more lasting impact …
Forcing someone to do something because they have to, or …
Inspiring/compelling/challenging/inviting someone to do something because they want to.
This is the essence in Dwight Eisenhower’s quote:
“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.”
Using authority to achieve domination demands submission and compliance. It punishes opposition. It’s primary play is control.
Should there be times when your kids or your direct reports simply trust you and do what you ask? Of course.
But have you created the environment that generates that kind of trust?
Are you sure?
What’s Your Motivation?
Over-relying on positional authority is a sign that you’re motivated by fear, instead of being motivated by a purpose beyond your personal interests. The former looks like control. The latter looks like courage, confidence and conviction.
Dominating is the easy way out. It’s self-serving, because it puts others in a position where they have no alternative but to submit. That’s what a playground bully does.
It’s fear-motivated because the alternative to domination is leaving open the possibility that people won’t follow you—which would mean a loss of control: scary.
And what does that say about your identity, if people won’t follow you?
The curious thing about being a dominating leader is that it actually breeds more insecurity. The more control you get, the harder it is to give any of it away.
Your actions become increasingly desperate. Instead of ignoring people for their creativity and innovation, you’ll actively resist them. Instead of looking for the best people to add to your team, you’ll only select people that agree with you.
It ultimately leaves only two options for people to respond to your leadership: Compliance or insubordination. The people who will endure those options will stay. Everyone else will leave.
So you end up with a team of people who will never achieve more than you can control.
Is that really what you want?
What Does Servant Leadership Look Like (Really)?
Servant leadership creates an environment that invites and expects people to excel and accomplish in an intrinsically-motivated way. Simply put, the goal of the leader is to help their followers flourish.
This may sound soft, as if it avoids giving firm direction, challenging or correcting people. Not true. If you want an example, I invite you to read David Marquet’s Turn the Ship Around and see servant leadership that is inspiring, challenging and paradigm-busting. And anything but soft.
Servant leadership works under the realization that healthy authority is earned. That it inspires submission and cooperation, rather than demands it.
Servant leadership recognizes that authority is ultimately granted to the leader: People choose who they will respect as an authority. When you are a leader worth following, one who serves interests beyond yourself, people will follow.
So how do you create that kind of environment? Here’s a handful of practical steps:
Choose capable people (with the potential to achieve more than you).
Figure out how to get them what they need to perform at their best.
Ask for their input and ideas. Listen deeply—to everyone.
Get them to buy in to a vision/purpose that’s bigger than all of you combined.
Call them to sacrifice. Challenge them to engage and take ownership.
Give away decision-making authority—and train them to make good decisions.
Don’t play favorites. Treat everyone equitably, but not equally (everyone’s different).
Never stop working to be the leader people want to follow, instead of the one they have to follow.
Pick three you don’t already do, and get to it.
Want to talk about how to improve your leadership from the posture of being a servant? Let’s grab a time for a 15-minute phone call to talk about it. Click the button below to schedule a time
Use Authority Like Jesus Did
Four final thoughts re: authority …
First, when it comes to authority, Jesus has it all. Any perceived authority we might have is not really ours anyway, it’s his (that includes governments and heads of state, by the way).
Think of it as stewarding his authority that he’s loaned to us.
Second, what Jesus did with his authority is pretty compelling: He gave it away. He distributed his authority to his followers, so that their entire lives (and the lives of those disciples that followed them) were lived as representatives of his authority:
Then Jesus came up and said to [his disciples], "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." (Matthew 28.18-20 NET)
Third, authority and service are not opposites; they’re complementary. Jesus was both the King of Kings and the Chief Servant. After washing each of his disciples feet (one of his final acts before his arrest and crucifixion—a fairly selfless act), Jesus sat back down and said,
"Do you understand what I have done for you? You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and do so correctly, for that is what I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example—you should do just as I have done for you. I tell you the solemn truth, the slave is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you understand these things, you will be blessed if you do them. (John 13.12-17 NET)
Fourth, Jesus never commanded leaders to serve others. He recommended it. He left the application of servant leadership up to us as a choice. He said we’d be blessed if we did. He said lording authority isn’t in line with who we are to be.
Why did he not command his followers to be servant leaders? Only Jesus knows. My guess is that he knew that calling people to be something is ultimately more powerful than commanding them to do something.
If we’re seeking to be like him desperately enough, we’ll have the humility, the confidence and faith it takes to see ourselves as servants who aren’t afraid to lead boldly.
We’ll understand the degree of identity change we have to go through to see ourselves as servants instead of dominators. And we’ll be blessed by it.
Final Thoughts
To be fair, leadership in any form is tough, hard and humbling work. Unless your name is Jesus, you will fail at leading others. Even the best of servant leaders will resort to self-interest at some point.
And to be clear, authority in an of itself isn’t bad or wrong. It’s what we do with authority—particularly at the exclusion of service—that goes against Jesus’ intent.
The bottom line is this: You will work harder to be a servant leader. But in working harder at leading others through serving them, you will be a more capable and effective leader than you would have been having settled on using your positional authority to dominate.
Peace be with you…
