Authority, Power, and Leadership

In this week’s article, we are discussing the differences between authority, power, and leadership; stripping them down and investigating their meanings so that we can understand how to use them as tools in our approaches as leaders. Have you ever considered the difference between leadership, authority, and power? Are those words interchangeable, perhaps used as synonyms, or maybe hold a negative connotation for you? It might be possible you haven’t even given it much thought at all.

Before I consciously investigated why the way I use my language as a leader matters, what they mean, and how these words relate to each other, I was unaware of their impact. For me, leadership, authority, and power are all words I typically use as characterization, and unconsciously I was mushing them all together and thinking about them the same way. While they are in the same wheelhouse, there are some distinctions I make for myself. It’s sometimes difficult to talk about concepts like these “soft skills” in word format, so please understand they are nuanced and that my interpretation is my opinion about how I make sense of their meanings in my work. Please feel free to add some other contexts in the comments.

First, let’s look at the definitions for each of these terms and how they are defined in Webster’s Dictionary.

Authority – having influence or commanding thought, opinion, or behavior

Power – the ability to act or produce an effect; possession of control or influence over others; physical might

Leadership – the office or position of a leader; capacity to lead; the act or an instance of leading

OK, now that we have the definitions for each of these words, we can start to unpack how they are in play with the work we do as stage managers and leaders in entertainment.

Types of Authority

It’s easy to think about authority in the frame of whoever is in a position of authority. For example, a principal at a school holds formal authority, but what about amongst a group of friends at the school where there isn’t a clear distinction? Who holds the authority in a group that is not in defined roles like “principal” and “student?” The idea of formal authority versus informal authority helps to understand a group dynamic and can unlock some insights into how we can utilize authority in ways that are not about “being in authority,” but that are based on relationship-building over entitlement.

Formal Authority:

When I think about formal authority, it’s all about who holds the title and has been given the authority to make the decisions and dictate why, how, and what things are. For example, a Production Stage Manager has the formal authority on a stage management team and often in rehearsals. In many circumstances during rehearsals the formal authority shifts to the Director about making changes to the schedule, or when they want to add a prop, or change staging. The dynamic will change based on the individuals in the group.

Even in cases when someone with more formal authority overall is present, it doesn’t mean they hold the formal authority in that situation. If I am in a staging rehearsal and the Production Manager walks in, they are not automatically in charge because of their title. The formal authority is still mine based on the situation. This might seem obvious to most people and I’m attempting to describe these concepts in a dissected way so that we can investigate what is going on within the teams we work with.

Informal Authority:

When I think about formal authority, it’s about connecting with people on a human level, hearing their concerns, showing up, being supportive, and having a rapport with them that builds trust.

It takes more time to earn informal authority with a person and especially with a group. Think about when you have a hard decision to make or when you are curious about a subject you know little about: who do you go to for advice? Why do you go to that person? They hold informal authority with you. You trust them and you trust their knowledge and abilities about what you’re asking them.

On stage management teams, I experience that Production Stage Managers (PSM) usually hold more formal authority than informal authority with the cast and the Assistant Stage Managers (ASM) hold more informal authority than formal authority with the cast. This seems pretty obvious to me, but let’s unpack that a bit. The PSM is the main voice of information and conduit for the entire production, they are communicating formally with the company, often the person who handles payroll, they are included in disciplinary conversations/actions, and are further removed from the process, especially once the rehearsal phase ends. The ASM is much closer to the cast in terms of proximity and not as much of a figurehead. The cast usually comes to the ASM first with questions about what is happening during rehearsals, if they need their costume adjusted, if the prop they are using needs some attention, and sometimes just makes a joke with them. There are more opportunities for human connection as an ASM based on the interactions and because of that, informal authority can be fostered.

Power

When I think about power, my mind usually goes to physical presence, body language, and how we can change those to give us more power in a situation, or the ways we can modify it so that other people hold more power—sometimes consciously, but sometimes unconsciously.

Physical Presence:

Similarly to authority and how we relate to the people we manage whether that is in a formal or informal situation, our physical presence can at times reinforce that structure that forms naturally. When the Production Stage Manager is further away from the action and the actors on stage, it can reinforce the formal authority structure even more and therefore can create more of a power dynamic between you and the performers.

In situations that are not in a technical rehearsal or performance setting, there are things we can do to modify the power we hold in situations. Let’s say there is a conversation happening across the room with an actor and the prop’s technician. You can walk over there to create a closer proximity to the situation. Your physical presence changes the dynamics of the interaction and you can offer support in that situation if needed. On another note, when things feel a little tense and perhaps there are too many people contributing to a problem-solving scenario, you can take a step back so the situation doesn’t seem as intense so that you can observe what others are doing.

Body Language:

Not only can we modify how we are relating to others physically, but we can also be mindful of how our physicality is communicating messages about how we feel about people and situations we are in. The way we stand, how we use our hands, how we sit, our acknowledgments while we listen to others…these are all contributing to the way we communicate paired with what we are thinking and how we talk. Many times, they don’t even match each other. We’ve learned what to say, but forget that our bodies have a hard time lying about what we feel inside. I’m not proposing we learn how to manipulate our body language to tell believable lies. I’m proposing we learn how to be more open so that people feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts, especially the people we manage. I want people I work with to feel comfortable coming to me with hard feedback and knowing that when they share it with me, I am receptive. It starts with my body language.

Here are some ways you can open yourself up: sit up and listen when people are sharing something hard, you can nod your head showing them that you are listening to them, leave your body open (don’t cross your arms or your legs), turn towards them while they are speaking, mirror their energy, and match or adjust to their level.

Levels:

How we relate to others with the level we stay on can change the dynamic, it can put you more on an even playing field in terms of power, or it can de-escalate a situation sometimes. If someone comes to talk to you about something they’re frustrated about while you’re sitting, you can stand up to mirror their energy. This communicates to them that you are invested in what they are saying and that you take what they are saying seriously. You could also ask them to sit down so that you can have a conversation about it. There might be times when you can take a seat to change the dynamics also. These are all very subtle, but give it a try to see how it changes your communication with others.

Leadership

Everything I’ve already written about and more culminates into the word leadership for me. But leadership is different with some of the following pieces.

These are the hardest parts of being a charismatic, human-first, and empathetic leader that people want to follow.

Feedback:

It’s one of the hardest things to master, and I am far from being a master. Actually, I do not aspire to be a master at it, because I am constantly craving to be a student at improving the ways I am a leader. Becoming complacent with where I am as a leader or a stage manager is my worst nightmare…and the best way to learn and grow is to hear the feedback from the people we work with.

Inviting feedback is a vulnerable thing to do and it’s a risk because you might hear something that is in a blind spot of yours; perhaps you didn’t realize you were putting off a particular vibe to people.

Ask yourself why you are inviting feedback and go into it with an intention. Remember that you are inviting feedback and that it isn’t personal. Just because you need to improve something or aren’t that great at it, doesn’t make you a bad leader.

Dishing out feedback can be difficult, too. As leaders, we want to be seen in a good light and it can create a weird feeling where I feel like people don’t like me anymore when I have to give hard feedback to someone. Finding the human in the person you are talking to and approaching the conversation with compassion is a great place to come from, even if the feedback might be hard for the other person to hear. At times, we must give hard feedback at the moment. Personally, I view this as setting a boundary. What you just did is not ok and I’ll circle back so we can have a proper conversation about it later. It’s important to keep these still coming from a human-first perspective otherwise, it can come off abrasive and mean. I speak from experience.

Modeling:

Having a sense of what our values are and how we can live in and lead by our values creates authentic leadership. I am not just saying something you want to hear, but you see me leading from an authentic place. One way to model authenticity is by holding yourself accountable, and by letting others hold you accountable for what you said you will do.

One of my biggest lessons for understanding what I value as a leader was comparing the things I value in my personal life and what I value as a stage manager. I learned that I had created two different versions of myself: one that was Bryan off work, and the other when I was at work. I chose to let that go and to be myself regardless of which situation I was in. It allowed me to approach my work from an authentic place and tap into responding to people on a more personal level. It allowed me to see myself as a person who doesn’t have to be perfect all of the time.

It is hard being a leader. Showing you have the courage to do the work on yourself, to ask for help, and to keep showing up for your team and for yourself is a great to model the type of leader you aspire to be and that you are. Have the courage to show up!

Communication:

Empathy can be what connects all of the dots (or fills in the gaps) of these complex ideas. It is a hard skill to learn depending on your background, upbringing, or temperament. It felt harder for me to learn at a younger age. Perhaps it’s something that comes more easily once you’ve lived through some challenges in life because you can relate more. Empathy helps me to connect with my colleagues on a human level. What’s most important about being empathetic is not taking on the baggage of the other person. It’s ok to put yourself in their shoes, and it’s ok to not take yourself to the place where they are emotional to show them empathy and compassion.

Another important communication skill that’s a bit more practical and technical that helps me to show I am invested, to lead proactively, and to respond instead of react is active listening. Everyone wants to be heard and acknowledged for their point of view. It makes us feel validated about our place in the group and at work. Some of the body language points can easily be included in this portion because body language helps with successful active listening — turning towards who is speaking, nodding your head to show you’re with them, and being open physically. First, let the other person talk without interrupting them. We all want our turn to talk and get our perspectives out there. Next, letting people know that you hear what they are saying is important as “I hear what you’re saying.” It’s a great practice to repeat back what you think you’re hearing “what I’m hearing you say is…” so that the other person can validate that or correct any misinterpretations. It can be particularly helpful when there is a complex problem that is being talked about and when emotions are high. Active listening is one of the most used communication skills I use daily and it makes for clearer communication.

Vulnerability:

I saved the best for last. Vulnerability is a dense topic to discuss because there are so many components to it and it’s personal to all of us about what it means to be vulnerable. I won’t go into all of that exactly, but if you wanna learn more about vulnerability check out Brené Brown and her work on shame and vulnerability amongst many other things that she takes a deep dive on.

I want to point out a couple of practices I use to be daring in my leadership approach. The one I use the most is asking for help when I don’t quite know how to approach a problem or a conflict I might be dealing with. It could be asking someone to read over an email I am about to send or it could be how I should approach a hard conversation with a colleague I need to have.

Another vulnerability leadership practice I use is saying “I don’t know.” It’s ok to not have all of the answers. I don’t know the answer to that, but I will find out what it is and circle back with you later today. Being clear is kind and it shows people that you are human, too. Staying consciously accountable to circling back with the answer is important. There’s so much more I can go into about vulnerability and how it’s helped me open up as a person and as a leader, but that is an article in itself.

Conclusion

We’ve discussed authority, power, and leadership from the three points of the triangle, but what’s in the center? What does all of this create? I’m not sure, but I’d love to hear what you think could be at the center of these three points.

Also by Bryan Runion:

Phases of Production: The Rehearsal Process as a Stage Manager

Inviting Feedback, Encouraging Diversity and Challenging Tradition