Authority In Ronald Heifetz's Leadership Without Easy Answer

Ronald Heifetz in ‘Leadership without easy answers’ explains authority in the following manner. “Authority is the conferred power to perform a service. It is given and can be taken away. It is part of an exchange. Authority relationships are to a certain extent conscious and voluntary. Unlike dominance relationships that are based on coercion or deference. Authority provides direction, protection and order. Authority is a must in each social organization. It can be observed in human team work, at children play grounds and within gorilla bands. Authority can be formal or informal.” Societal groups and individuals tend to go along with those who are likely to be in charge, who have titles – such as judges, priests or professors – who wear uniforms – such as defense and police officers – or those who show the trappings of success and position – such as expensive cars and clothes and accessories. The human civilization has functioned by respecting authority and
For example, when medical teams follow their leader’s instructions. At times, these teams fail to question their leader when the directive makes no sense. This respect for authority and lack of common sense results in catastrophic consequences. The Institute of Medicine estimates that a jumbo jet load of people die each day due to medical errors.
In the words of Stanley Milgram, “The disappearance of a sense of responsibility is the most far-reaching consequence of submission to authority.” In ‘Obedience to Authority’ he further states, “Ordinary people, simply doing their jobs, and without any particular hostility on their part, can become agents in a terrible destructive process. Moreover, even when the destructive effects of their work become patently clear, and they are asked to carry out actions incompatible with fundamental standards of morality, relatively few people have the resources needed to resist