Today we witnessed a vote of confidence in British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson who managed to survive the vote, 211 to 148. So he survives in his position.
However, will he have any authority?
This made me think - from where do leaders get their authority?
This is where we gain our authority form our position. Boris has this as he is still Prime Minister and people will listen to that just because of the role he's in.
This is where we gain our authority because of our superior knowledge and expertise in an area. Boris is intelligent but he also comes across as a bit of a buffoon some times. We hardly look on him as a source of wisdom but I would say, he has some authority from his factor.
This is where we get our authority because of our character and positive spirit as a leader. People follow us because we inspire them. I don't believe Boris has this either. He seems to live on a different planet to most of us and we tend to find him irritating.
This is where we get our authority from our strong moral judgement. We lead by good example and are known to be sincere and trustworthy. Well, Boris never had this factor.
To lead, we need to build authority. To build authority, we need to balance the four factors above. It is not enough to rely on just one for sustained authority. Anyone who wants to lead, should consider where their authority is currently coming from and which factor from above is weak. Concentrate on building the area where you are weak so that you can sustain and build authority as a leader.
So where does this leave Boris?
IMHO, it leaves in him in charge but with no chance of sustaining lasting authority over the Conservative party or the government.
