When I was a lad I served a term
As office boy to an Attorney’s firm.
I cleaned the windows and I swept the floor,
And I polished up the handle of the big front door.
I polished up that handle so carefullee
That now I am the Ruler of the Queen’s Navee!
[HMS Pinafore, Gilbert & Sullivan]
You meet interesting people, polishing door handles. It’s a healthy, worthwhile occupation, and compliance assures continuing employment. No matter how carefullee a handle is polished, however, career options, life chances and personal fulfillment are limited.
Those who want more must understand authority — where it comes from, the conflicts it generates, and when to challenge it. Authority, whether drawn from tradition, charisma or rules, legitimizes power and control. Conflicts arise: between individuals, between individuals and their organization, and between citizens and the state. When is it wise, and when is it right, to push back?
Philosophers write about this — at length. Yet everyone, even without the vocabulary, observes and feels it: in hierarchy, expectations, instructions and orders; in cross-functional teams; in the daily relationship with a boss. We confront it every time we direct someone else’s actions. Everywhere we see the interplay between compliance and power, between voluntary followership and imposed sanctions.
What are your ideas and experiences? SWISSUES is holding a Forvm event on Authority — one hour of open discussion. No agenda. No formal presentations. Just you and whoever else would like to explore, listen and learn.