Authority and Leadership

Authority is a necessary part of leadership, but there are many shades to that latter word! “Authority” can mean technical expertise, or it can be a general moral trait, or a position determined by one’s place within a hierarchy. These three aspects can come into conflict.

Take for example technical expertise vs hierarchical position. Say you have a highly skilled engineer (technical expert) who has innovative ideas to solve a critical problem. But a manager higher in the organization, who lacks the same level of technical knowledge, may override the engineer’s recommendations due to his positional authority. Hierarchical authority is often tied to decision-making power, while technical expertise is based on specialized knowledge. When positional authority disregards expertise, it can lead to inefficiency or errors, as decisions may not reflect the best technical judgment.

For technical expertise vs moral authority, suppose you have a person with deep technical knowledge who proposes a solution that is effective but ethically questionable, clashing with someone whose authority stems from moral integrity. The conflict arises because technical expertise focuses on what is possible, while moral authority emphasizes what is right. These priorities diverge when technical goals overlook ethical implications.

For moral authority vs hierarchical position, consider a leader in a high-ranking position who issues directives that conflict with the convictions of someone seen as a moral authority within the organization. This situation describes the situation that whistle blowers find themselves in. Hierarchical authority implies a chain of command, while moral authority stems from trust and ethical reputation. When the person with moral authority challenges the leader in a high-ranking position, this is seen as a challenge which undermines the chain of command.

It is easy to imagine a situation where all three come into conflict. For example, imagine a highly skilled surgeon (technical authority) recommends a risky procedure to save a comatose patient. A hospital administrator (hierarchical authority) is opposed to the procedure for reasons of liability, and an ethics committee member (moral authority) argues against the procedure on grounds of patient consent. The options in this case are either to negotiate or to seek a compromise.

In military situations, the moral vs hierarchy authority conflict is almost always resolved because morally, everybody is in agreement on the rightness of the mission (Hlad, 2013). If not, there are options for one who has moral reservations about the correctness of the mission (Kilner, 2023). When technical authority comes into conflict with hierarchy-based authority (rank), the person with rank evaluates the technical authority’s recommendation against the mission and usually says “go ahead and cook.”

In Total Quality Management (TQM), where continuous improvement, collaboration, and ethical decision-making are paramount, moral authority emerges as a critical pillar of effective leadership. TQM emphasizes not only technical excellence and structured processes but also a commitment to ethical principles that foster trust, integrity, and long-term organizational success (Goetsch & Davis, 2021, p. 53).

The resolution of conflicts among these forms of authority—whether through negotiation, compromise, or ethical prioritization—requires leaders to recognize the unique value of moral authority. In business settings, where competing priorities and stakeholder interests often complicate decision-making, moral authority provides a unifying framework that aligns technical and hierarchical efforts with ethical standards.

References

Goetsch, D. L. & Davis, S. B. (2021). Quality management for organizational excellence: Introduction to total quality (9^th ed.). Pearson.

Hlad, M. (2013, 16 April). Moral fitness: Ethical education for Marines. Marine Corps University. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA603799.pdf

Kilner, P. (2023). Mitigating moral injuries through proactive, ethical leadership. Military Review. https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/Online-Exclusive/2023-OLE/Kilner/