Responsibility vs authority

This post is also available in: Spanish

Liderazgo en la organizaciónSurely you will feel it, or felt it time ago or, if no, you will in a future: As you get professional experience, there are two concepts gaining importance among the roster of aspects to take into account when performing your work: responsibility and authority.

The concept of responsibility covers all the tasks, objectives and targets you get from the organization throughout the corporate means: corporate policies, manuals, procedures, instructions, notices,…

It is a public statement by the company defining your position in the organization.

Authority is the materialization, the real way how you can develop the assigned responsibility. It is the resource you have to carry out your duties, objectives and other issues addressed by the organization.

Authority is the gauge measuring the real respect of the organization according to the responsibility issued among its members. The key.

Don´t search for your authority in the corporate manuals, policies, procedures or instructions. It is inside you almost as an instinct that everyone around you will feel: While responsibility is related to your public and objective position in the organization, your education, your vocation, your expertise and, above all, your attitude are the ingredients that strengthen  your authority in the organization.

Both, responsibility and authority must flow together. An organization which does´t gives authority in a professional way and democratic way among its members according to their responsibilities, will for sure find serious problems.

Apart from other jobs conditions, make clear about your responsibility and authority prior to get involved in an organization or project.