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When I got my first management promotion years ago I was
pretty naïve and unskilled in the "how-to's" of management. There are stories I could tell you about that
you'd probably find either funny or cringe-worthy (at least I do). Let me tell you just one, though, that
happened to me a few years later when I was a new vice-president and should
have known better - but hey, those were they days before there was much in
terms of leadership or management training available outside of business
schools.
As I said, I had just been elected to a VP position at my
company. My boss, the SVP of our
division, was only a year or two older than me but seemed a lot savvier in the
areas of management and leadership. He
and I also had the kind of relationship where I felt comfortable saying pretty
much whatever was on my mind. So after
being in my new position for a few months I complained to him one day that he
had given me a lot more in terms of responsibility but he hadn't really
delegated any more authority to help me meet my new responsibilities-I think he
had been chewing me out about something and this was my comeback! Anyway, his answer came quickly and I've
never forgotten it; it turned out to be a real "aha!" moment for me.
"Authority", he shot back, "can't be delegated. It can only be assumed".
Since that time there's a lot more than has been, is being and
likely will be said about the acquisition and use of authority as we move
forward in our understanding of what works in leadership. Most of those other things I've learned about
authority over the years I think are generally true, e.g., a good leader also earns
his or her authority in the eyes of those he or she is leading. However, I've never learned or experienced
anything about the assumption and use of authority that obviates the truth of
what my boss told me so many years ago.
In my mind, what he said is the base that underlies all the other
"truths" about acquiring and using authority that I've been exposed to. Again, no
one can simply delegate authority to you, you have to want it. And none of the theories about getting and
using authority will work it you are not prepared to assume it. So my complaint to my boss those years ago
was misplaced; it should have been focused inwardly, on me.
Paul Williams
has recently retired after 40+ years in IT, although in truth much of that
time was spent in EDP, MIS and IS before he became an IT'er. Most of his
career has been in IT management, where he enjoyed several stints as a CIO for
different insurance companies on the West Coast. While at the same time
doing some "real work" in IT, for the last five years Paul has
specialized in developing and facilitating leadership programs both for
his division and for the company at large. He doesn't think of himself as
a technical person but rather as a business person with some technical skills.
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