Synthetic authority

We all love to hold a little bit of authority. The problem starts when we do it for the sake of having it…

Having authority is a huge responsibility. It requires wisdom, knowledge, and merit, in order to be effective and constructive. Years of effort, numerous failures, and accompanied learning is a good way to obtain authority in a specific area. In Polish, there's a saying "to eat your own teeth on something", which means doing something for so long, that it becomes the second nature and nothing about it can surprise. No wonder it's connected with leadership!

Authority cannot be obtained just because, or because you want it. It will be synthetic, inauthentic, fake. You would be a usurper if you demand authority due to your age, gender, or position — when nothing more stands behind. It's not the way to lead, but the easier way to fall into the impostor syndrome pitfall.