The idea sounds very intuitive if you want your team members to accomplish work give them the authority to carry out their work.

Authority and accountability are a paradox of managerial life. The paradox is for the leader to give authority while the concern remains (that is often false) if the manager gives authority, they will be seen as less of a leader. Less of a leader to who? I wrote about this in an earlier post – Team Leadership We vs. I.

Hierarchy in Organizations can create a zero-sum game mentality. Where the view is once the team members have power, less power exists for us at the top. This model has proven to be highly ineffective. Examples are rampant from the banking industry to the auto industry.

The challenge for a leader is the authority you have to ensure that the resources and metrics are all in line for success. Additionally, leadership’s responsibility is to create the teams and place the right people on that team to get things done. Many team leaders feel if they put highly skilled individual together and leave them alone magic will happen. WRONG!

Authority granted proper team makeup and measurable goals that line up with the leaders mission. Authority to Accomplished Work happens.