Leadership versus authority…what’s the difference?

The first Buzz2010 breakfast is this Wednesday! Just one more day to get registered and plan to come. We have a really good group, and I can’t wait to see you all.

In the final post from Ben Whitford’s interview series with Charlene Li, she says, “There’s a difference between leadership–inspiring people toward a common goal–and authority, which is the right to make decisions based on a title.” Thinking on that statement brings up a lot of questions for those of us who are leading from the middle–the managers, directors, and even some VPs who do not hold the ultimate authority in regards to the culture of openness inside our organizations.

At the second Buzz2010 breakfast on July 20, Wall Street Journal columnist, Alex Levit will be one of the panelists who will talk about managing risk. All three of the panelists, in fact, are experts at managing social media risk from the middle. Looking through some of Alex’s blog posts, I found this fantastic post on leading without authority. Alex offers these five tips…

1. Let your passion shine through.
2. Appear humble.
3. Develop deep relationships.
4. Help them help you.
5. Don’t be overcontrolling.

What do you see as the difference between leadership and authority? Does leadership beget authority, or the other way around? What happens when a great leader lacks authority? What happens when someone in authority lacks leadership skills? Just a few questions to get your juices flowing for Wednesday. See you at Clydes bright and early!