Leading beyond authority

Author: Iloka Benneth Chiemelie

Published: 12th of June 2014

The meaning of leadership is clear to us. It involves taking on a task with set budget and a team. In most cases the leader is in authority, sets objectives and timescale, and is in charge. Then, it is the leader’s responsibility to meet set goals by motivating staffs and deliver expected outcomes.

In most cases, leadership developments are focused on how to perform well in such situations as above, but this is not always the case because across functions they is no control or boundary. For instance, policemen need to work together with health and housing professionals in order to solve crime, politicians need the time of communities in order to plan for the future, and directors work together with non-executives in order to understand best way to move the company ahead.

Across sectors, this is increasingly happening as boundaries are becoming blur and authorities become less clear cut with partnership more proliferating. While the traditional leadership tool still works, it is not as often as they used too as leaders are increasing demanded to supplement with others. In order to be more effective, leaders of the modern system need to lead beyond their formal real of authority.

For instance, instead of leading in specific systems to produce 10 cartoons of a given products, leaders can outsource some of the production process and produce 100 cartons. Borders must be bypassed in order to effectively and efficiently deliver demands. Leaders must look beyond what they have and see new was of producing more in order to generate more revenue for the company.

Thus, leadership is all about the incremental effects that a person can bring outside set formal authority - Vecchio, 1988. It is the extra 90 cartoons produce by outsourcing as shown in the case above.

Reference

Julia Middleton (2009), “Leading Beyond Authority.” Available at: http://www.alchemyformanagers.co.uk/topics/4fYuk5A9Q6uZ6sPd.html [Accessed on: 12^th June 2014].