It has been said that there are two types of authority: positional and earned. Positional authority is given by virtue of your title or your credential. It can even be bolstered (or undermined) in the eyes of others by virtue of factors such as your age, gender or educational level. Earned authority is less tangible but every bit is very important. It is something that you accumulate over time as you demonstrate your substance and leadership abilities.

Every leader must earn authority as relying solely on positional authority can be counterproductive. To many, earned authority is even more crucial because they lack the traditional traits that grant most leaders positional authority. So lacking positional authority can actually be a blessing because it guides us back to the leadership example of Jesus.
Men are usually given positional authority due to various reasons ranging from performance, rapport with members of staff or politics. As a result, they are naturally at an advantaged position to have or be given positional authority. Women, on the other hand, are most often started out at a disadvantage.

Most times, a woman’s authority is not automatically earned. It does not usually come with as much positional authority as credibility has to be earned, word by word, person by person.
Some leaders get intoxicated with positional authority. Unfortunately, positional power is precarious as it is subject to the whims of people and the vicissitudes of life. Leaning too heavily on it often leads to disappointment.

Whilst it is easy to assert power based on title or prove our right to lead, authority does not necessarily come from outward signs of success or from holding a position in a hierarchy. As Curtis Bingham said, “Earned authority is the strongest and most sustainable type of authority, enhancing both positional and borrowed authority as it increases.”
The truth is, earned authority comes with character. Those who have it recognize their own weaknesses and walk in the self-emptying ways of Jesus. They are not on a fast track to impress anyone. Their lives reflect that they are not one up, but one down: always giving their lives for others.

Jesus gave up positional power, emptied Himself and surrendered His divine prerogatives. He resisted Satan’s temptation to assert His power prematurely.
This kind of authority cannot be conferred by an institution. It is not garnered through education or experience. It is not by being charismatic and extroverted. It is not a byproduct of having the buck stop with you.
Jesus redefines leadership as the way of service and rendering it with anonymity. Servants are often anonymous, people we take for granted. We rarely remember their names. Waitresses, flight attendants, medical technologists, custodians - to most their individuality is overshadowed by their roles or functions.

Jesus lived as “one who served.” But do we truly aspire to be servants? Do we say we have great potential as servants? No, we are more likely to push to get to the top. We resist being anonymous. We crave positional authority.
The results or benefits of earned leadership cannot however be quantified. Simply put, they outlive us. That takes us back to the leadership of Jesus yesterday, today and tomorrow. Exemplify that type of leadership and the world will never forget you. That, and not much else, is our calling as leaders.

Gleaned from ‘Authority Deficit Disorder’ by Adele Calhoun.