What is AUTHORITY - definition, meaning in simple words.
In simple words, Authority is the ability to influence or control the thoughts, opinions, behavior of other people, to have social power over them.
Synonyms: influence, power, prestige, weight, reputation for superiority, trust.
So, the essence of authority is recognized power, based on expertise, reliability, confidence, credibility. People agree to follow authority and listen to authority figures because they believe they are worthy of respect. The goals and demands of the authority figure are perceived as reasonable and useful or true.
Second stage
Over time, achieving your goal becomes a habit. A person calmly gets up in the morning to go for a run, and can refuse a sandwich without a twinge of conscience. He doesn't care what people think about him. A man goes towards his goal. It is quite possible that loved ones, seeing how persistently a person goes towards his goal, will begin to reach out for him. This is how authority is born.
Instead of gatherings over evening dinner, the whole family goes for a walk. Weekends are spent not in front of the TV, but on skis/skates/bicycles, depending on the time of year. Friends notice the changes and begin to join this family. A team of like-minded people is being formed.
Types of Influencers
Academic authority
This is not the kind of authority that college or university professors have. Having academic authority means motivating your junior colleagues or followers by helping them with good theoretical knowledge on a particular subject. On average, it happens that what we studied in the book may not be applicable in real life situations, and this is precisely the lack of academic authority. In the business world, academic authority belongs to someone who understands and knows a subject, and shares his knowledge with others who are usually lower in the corporate structure. This is one of the most common types of influencers because education is one of the largest industries in the world.
Charismatic authority
Charismatic authority is largely based on the characteristics of a particular person, rather than on his knowledge and experience. A person with a unique, interesting, glorious character can have charismatic authority. In many cases, perceiving a person as charismatic is considered incorrect. For example, many people thought Adolf Hitler was charismatic, but the whole world knows that this is not so.
Narcissism is an important indicator of charismatic authority. It has been found that people serving under a charismatic leader often leave the company after the leader leaves, thereby proving that they were simply blind followers of the charismatic authority.
Expert Authority
When a person is an expert on a particular topic or subject area, he or she has expert authority. Authorities of this type tend to specialize in only one area and show an intense and deep interest in the subject. They know how the subject really works and their understanding is deep. Therefore, the opinion of these people in a certain area is extremely valuable. Experts may or may not be charismatic, but they definitely influence others. A person who is an expert and charismatic is very difficult to find and keep.
Legal authority
This is an official position or status assigned by law. This status often makes a person feel like they have power over others.
Authority of the position
People responsible for a major project are given authority by position in the organization. Once a project is successfully completed or terminated for any reason, the authority and authority ends with it. This authority is considered to be very useful, and people who receive it for the first time have a lot to learn.
Owner's authority
It is an authority held by the people who own the organization or company as a whole, and because of this ownership, they have the power to make decisions for the entire organization. Sports team owners are the best example of ownership authority. Although they have enormous authority, organizational skills mean little to nothing, and their decisions always affect everyone involved in the organization. Because they only have the property and not the knowledge and tools necessary to manage the property, more often than not their actions harm the organization rather than develop it. People with this kind of authority need to be able to make the right decisions at the right time to become successful owners.
Punitive authority
Knowing that you have the ability to punish someone if that person has done something wrong is called punitive authority. For example, an umpire in a cricket match may exercise punitive measures against the players. The judge in court is another example of punitive authority, where the judge's sentence can make or break the life of the accused. A judge has the legal right and ability to punish someone if found guilty.
Authority in relationships
People who are related within certain groups, and the group is connected in such a way that any action that can be taken by any member with an effect on the entire group is considered an authority in the relationship. An example of this would be any sports team consisting of more than two people, such as a hockey team. Any action of one member can affect the entire team. In business, the best example would be an individual sales member who, if he does not execute and achieve his goal, will completely impact the organization's goal.
The authority of the results
Consider a top performer who always achieves his goals. This person has authority in the company based on his results. It should be noted that a person who has achieved results only once will not have such authority. Only a person who regularly achieves results, consistent in this achievement for a long time, has such authority. These people are respected for their fantastic success stories and are often assigned projects where they can succeed. The company considers them an asset and will do everything in its power to retain them.
Reward Authority
School teachers and college professors are considered the most common people with authority in the field of remuneration. They have the power to give certain rewards that have great significance in people's lives. They can be tangible or intangible, for example, grades given by a teacher are valuable and are considered a reward. This forces students to listen to the authority of the teacher. From a professional point of view, an HR company has remuneration powers that determine the monetary value of an employee.
Traditional authority
Authority given to someone according to custom and tradition is called traditional authority. Patriarchy is one of the best examples of traditional authority, in which the man is considered the master of the house and dominates everyone in the house. Authority often passes to the next man. Examples of traditional authority also include kings and emperors.
Classification of the phenomenon from the point of view of psychology
The definition given to the phenomenon by the famous psychologist Erich Fromm presupposes the existence of rational and irrational authority. The first represents trust in the competence of another person, which he must actually confirm. The second type is based only on high social status, and trust is replaced by fear. The motto “The boss is always right, and if he’s wrong, then see point 1” clearly demonstrates the approach to management in the case of irrational authority.
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Many works have been devoted to the study of authority; there are quite a few sound theories that explain the mechanism of action of the phenomenon. However, until now experts have not agreed on how to correctly classify this phenomenon. From a psychological point of view, the most important types of authority are:
- Internal authority. Implies the existence of internal conviction in the correctness of decisions made, competence as a specialist. The phenomenon is characteristic of strong-willed people who often occupy a high position in society.
- Emotional authority implies inner maturity and calmness. People with this phenomenon are characterized by the ability to get along with others and build relationships with people according to the “master-follower” type. Very rarely, internal authority and emotional authority can be combined; people with such a unique phenomenon become charismatic leaders.
- Professional authority – characterizes the competence of a specialist.
- Public – the authority of the people, the state.
- Individual – characterizes an individual personality.
Psychologists pay special attention to false authority, which can take a wide variety of forms. The pseudo-authority of suppression is most interesting; manifesting itself in extreme forms, it can give rise to authoritarian thinking and a sense of impunity in the leader
Distance and detachment from others, which impart an aura of mystery and importance, can also create a sense of authority
What is public authority
Public authority (public power) is
- any government or other public administration, including public advisory bodies, at the national, regional or local level;
- any natural or legal person performing public administrative functions in accordance with national law, including special duties.
What is social authority
We've all heard about the influence of social media. Using their capabilities, anyone these days can become an authority or a kind of guru for others. The real value of social media lies in participating in conversations, discussions that open up new opportunities. The more you give, the more your social capital grows and the more people trust you. Your social authority develops when you or an organization are recognized as an expert in a particular field or topic. So, social media provides a platform for opinion leaders and experts to establish social authority regardless of budget constraints or available marketing resources. It can be gained by regularly participating in online discussions and providing valuable information honestly and sincerely.
Thanks to social media, people have the opportunity to get to know you and leverage your expertise, and you have many new ways to share your expertise in ways that enhance your reputation as an expert and your authority.
Will combined with flexibility
Gennady Samoilenko, founder of Online Personal:
Any leader needs four qualities to successfully manage a team and business processes: willpower, charisma, communication skills and intuition.
Will is what helps to cope with current affairs if there is a lack of motivation. Willpower is needed both for career success and for authority in a team. A weak-willed leader will never be authoritative.
At the same time, it is important to combine will with flexibility and spontaneity. You can be strong-willed, but flexible when making decisions, tolerant, loyal with subordinates and boss
There are people who are flexible, but not strong-willed. This is when you accept the points of view and views of other people, but at the same time you cannot do anything yourself. Will is always a sign of adulthood.
Flexibility can be learned. It is enough to find the equipment and launch the trigger mechanism.
What is a crime boss
Crime boss is a gender-neutral term that can be applied to either a man or a woman.
A crime boss is someone who controls part of an organized crime group; boss of a criminal organization. He is generally feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and to profit from the criminal activities in which his organization is involved. Crime lords often surround themselves with servants, mercenaries, or bodyguards for protection.
The goal of most crime bosses is to make money . They achieve this by engaging in any illegal income-generating activities such as extortion, gambling, loan sharking, kidnapping, drug cultivation and distribution, and slave trading. Some crime lords work with other crime lords to maximize their profits.
One of the most famous crime lords in history is Jalisco Nemesio Oseguara-Cervantes, the current best candidate to head the Mexican cartel, also known as "El Mencho". Convicted of conspiracy to distribute heroin in California in 1994, he was released after three years and returned to Mexico to become involved in the drug trade. Born in 1966, El Mencho is currently one of the Drug Enforcement Administration's most wanted international drug traffickers under the US Theft Act, passed by Congress in 2000 to impose severe criminal and civil penalties on high-level drug traffickers.
How to develop a skill?
We often think that an authoritative person is one who has been given this skill from above. He didn't do anything for it, he was just born that way. Not at all. Authorities are not born, they are made.
The formation of this skill requires constant work on oneself and a revision of one’s previous position in life. You have to get rid of old habits, get out of your own comfort zone and say goodbye to people who are dragging you down.
In general, as in any other work, when working on yourself, you cannot be lazy and sit still, postponing the start of a new life until tomorrow.
So, where does skill formation begin? The first stage is goal setting. You need to firmly decide what your ultimate goal is, what you want.
A simple example. The man decided to lose weight and switch to proper nutrition. But his family doesn’t understand him, they make fun of him about this and constantly suggest that he eat a sandwich with butter and cheese rather than suffer through nonsense. It’s hard for a person psychologically; giving up what you’re used to is always stressful. And it is clear that at the first stage support is required. But here she is not, rather the opposite.
What to do in this situation? Move away from your usual surroundings and find like-minded people. For example, register on a healthy eating forum or a selected diet. You can go to the gym and make friends.
