New Leaders: Authority and Influence
Authority is the right or power to give orders, make decisions and enforce obedience, and influence, is the capacity to have an effect on the character, development or behaviour of someone or something, or the effect itself. As a new leader, getting acclimated to exercising authority can be challenging particularly when you have been promoted from among your peers. Not to mention, the ability to manage this new power.
By title, leaders have authority and as a result, influence. The type of leader you want to be will determine how you go about developing your leadership skills and what you do with both authority and influence.
Do you want to use your new “power” to instill fear and trepidation, to create an environment where you surround yourself with “yes men” where people tip toe around you, afraid to disagree with you because of the consequences they may face?
Do you want to believe that you know all the answers or that you know the best way to get the best results and as a consequence you ignore ideas from your teams and eventually, no new ideas are put forward?
Or do you want to use your new “power” to create an environment where people are able to learn and grow, to allow new ideas to be brought to the fore, where people are encouraged and rewarded for their creativity and innovation, where people feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves and they understand the role they play in its development and success?
Without proper guidance, a new Leader may find his or herself utilizing authority too much or too little, either approach significantly impact how the team responds and performs. How does a new Leader, then, channel this authority effectively? Once you have clarity around who you are or want to be as a leader, finding the balance between authority and influence will be critical for you to stay in alignment with yourself.
Leadership Is Not A ‘One-Size Fits All’
The role of Leadership does not come with a ‘one-size fits all’ blueprint. Fortunately, with proper guidance, new Leaders can learn how to improve and expand their capacity for leadership, identify what approaches do and do not work, effectively engage with their teams and get comfortable in their roles.
As a Leadership Coach, I communicate to participants in my coaching sessions the importance of building relationships and how this leads to short and long-term success. Leaders should actively seek to understand and fulfill what their team members need from them and provide a healthy level of support and motivation for them to continuously put forward their best efforts. New Leaders can, through these efforts, strengthen their influence among the team and build a positive legacy for themselves.
Nadine Burrowes-Seaga is a Life & Leadership Coach and the Founder & Chief Energy Officer (CEO) of People Development Consultants.