“You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” - Winnie the Pooh’s friend Christopher Robin

Authority has come to mean someone with the power to affect or influence others because of office or expertise. Power in business, politics and the world of work, to most people, implies competition, domination and is usually wielded by the person with the highest rank and largest paycheck.

Inner Authority is authentic power, not something bestowed upon us through role or status. It is something that exudes from one who comes from their deepest values, who can size up a situation and say what needs to be done without being colored by agenda.

Franciscan priest, Richard Rohr writes, “People with true inner authority ‘author’ us. They create life in us. They seem to write life more than they are written upon.” Developing Inner Authority, we create lives of positive action that arise from a deep inner wisdom. Access to our Inner Authority is key to becoming authentic leaders, successful individuals, and to living joyful lives.

The best time to cultivate this sense of our own value, worth and self-efficacy is paradoxically when nothing seems to be going our way. These are precious opportunities to develop Inner Authority.

When the CEO of a tech company recently questioned his Vice President’s loyalty she was bewildered. He was reacting to her assertion to the Board that their priority should be supporting the field manager. She told them, “We should give him whatever he needs to hit our revenue goal.” The CEO asked her afterwards, “Are you working for him or me?”

Later she shared with me, “Every day you get signals to not be yourself or think certain things. Do we acquiesce and stand down? Become victimized or doused by it? A lot of us know what needs to be done but we don’t think we’re smart enough or good enough to speak up and stand up for what we know. We undermine ourselves rather than take the risk of being out of favor.”

Please join me at the WITI Conference in Santa Clara, October 12, 2:30-5:30 pm, for the workshop: Inner Authority: Your Personal GPS for Empowered Leadership

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