You May Have Authority – Do You Have Control?

Think back to the last stupid thing someone told you to do. Your first thought: does the person have the right to tell you to do this stupid thing. If the answer is yes, then the thought is: how can I get around the stupidity. If the people who report to you have no respect for your decisions (they think you are telling them to do stupid things), then they will look for ways around what they perceive is the stupidity. Put another way, if your decisions are not perceived as good decisions by the people who are to execute those decisions, there is a good chance your decisions will not be effective. This will be true in spite of all strict requirements of enforcement that may be put in place. Humble leaders who do not fear losing control are often the leaders most in control of their organizations.