Authority And Leadership: General George S. Patton, Jr.

Authority and leadership are distinctly different and are often confused. Generally, the authoritative position is one that is appointed. People respect that person because of their position, not always is the respect earned. Leaders earn the respect of the people that follow them.
A good leader encourages the people who work for them to think and problem solve whereas a person in a position of authority can sometimes be reluctant to the process and change. This thought process and resistance to change became glaringly evident in the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Many military leaders did not think that the aircraft carrier was a powerful weapon and still relied on the battleship. The Japanese proved how powerful of a weapon the carrier could be.
Persons in a position of authority sometimes focus on the end goal and fail to see the coordination required. At the same time, this position of authority does not allow the person to be involved with all the coordination required.
People in positions of authority need good leaders to execute the mission and the job. General George S. Patton, Jr, one of the best leaders the military has had, said it best, “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their