I Have a Problem With Authority, But I’m OK With It

The Desert of Arizona
Clear 66 Degrees

Authority isn’t TAKEN. It’s earned. And most of the organizations that have “authority” in the world at the moment haven’t earned it. They’ve just taken it. Usually they take it through coercion. The primary tool of enforcement is the end of the barrel of a gun. Classy.

It’s finally becoming clear to the world these folks don’t deserve any of this authority. They will collapse in good time.

Until then, this is a good lesson for anyone who’s interested in becoming an Incomparable Expert.

Authority isn’t something that can be taken by you in your marketplace. You can try, but you’ll most likely meet a fair amount of resistance. Because authority isn’t yours to take. Authority is something that is granted to you by others. It generally takes time.

The Platform approach to client attraction isn’t about taking authority, it is about engaging in activities where people tend to grant you authority. When they’ve GIVEN it to you, that changes everything. This authority isn’t about controlling, however, it’s about leading.

It’s quite a responsibility because it’s extremely powerful.

A lot of business people pursue goals flavored with the idea of GETTING:

  • How do I get clients?
  • How do I get higher fees?
  • How do I get respect?
  • How do I get authority?
  • How do I get trust?

I had this mindset for quite some time. Get, get, get.

Instead of using the word get, what happens if you use the word earn? That completely changes the energy in a way that the marketplace can feel.

The biggest benefit to doing this is that once you EARN authority, respect or trust, the SALE isn’t usually too far behind. Except you won’t have to really sell anything. Instead, you’ll have people asking you to buy.

P.S. Two quick things: last chance for the platform lab. Last chance for the hotseat session.