I could tell some damage control would be needed as soon as he barked out the question, "Where's [my boss]?" I was asked to cover a meeting for my team leader and the meeting's top level guest didn't not want to state his demands to the "second string". "I assure you I am quite a worthy stand-in," I replied.
When I was a kid, I didn't mind when a grown-up asked to talk to my parents. They rarely wanted to talk of anything I cared about. It's easy to stay a kid at the workplace, too, and not stretch the limits of what is expected of you. I don't recommend it.
While some real authority is given and firm, most authority is more elusive, and can simply be earned or stolen away. You will have exactly the level of authority you prevent others from taking from you. A simulation of authority pasted on the outside like a cheap suit might look like the person (of your same rank) who asks you (seriously) to get them some coffee in front of others they are trying to impress. When you refuse with sarcasm, it might be funny, or it might be an opportunity to steal some authority right out from under their nose. People like your coffee demander are always trying to take authority they don't already own. They don't understand how to come by it honestly, so they do their best to pick-pocket it from unsuspecting schmucks ready to hand it over.
If you're one of those schmucks always giving away your power, you may also be passing up opportunities for advancement. If your boss has to continually introduce you and state your authority, it's time for you to grow up and leave home. Once for an introduction to new people is one thing; when they continue to bypass you because you are not standing your ground is another.
So how do you keep what is rightfully yours? And rightfully earn more? First, you do whatever it takes to have and maintain a clear understanding with your boss(es) on what your stated authority is. If you are not clear, you run the risk of making them look bad and yourself too, by overstepping your bounds in a hot moment. (There are ALWAYS hot moments of one kind or another). Second, understand that a very important part of authority comes from truly KNOWING you speak for your team. You have decision-making power conferred upon you by the team you serve. Don't back down. Don't offer to confer with your boss and get back to someone. Just tell them you'll find out if you don't know something. Keep your dignity. A superior demanding to see your boss because he/she thinks you are insufficient may have never learned how to earn authority and is desperately flapping what little they have out there to make it seem bigger than it is.
Third, don't sweat it if the people you are trying to work with in a particular situation just refuse to deal with you and insist on going above your head. There are always a few. Keep your calm. Remember that Christ has given you authority to trample serpents (so to speak) so someone else's temper tantrum is not going to force you to take out your authority wallet and empty it in their hands. Do try your best to give your bosses a "heads up" that escalation is coming and why. They will understand if you have worked on staying aligned, because it happens to them too...more than you might think.
When I was a kid, I didn't mind when a grown-up asked to talk to my parents. They rarely wanted to talk of anything I cared about. It's easy to stay a kid at the workplace, too, and not stretch the limits of what is expected of you. I don't recommend it.
While some real authority is given and firm, most authority is more elusive, and can simply be earned or stolen away. You will have exactly the level of authority you prevent others from taking from you. A simulation of authority pasted on the outside like a cheap suit might look like the person (of your same rank) who asks you (seriously) to get them some coffee in front of others they are trying to impress. When you refuse with sarcasm, it might be funny, or it might be an opportunity to steal some authority right out from under their nose. People like your coffee demander are always trying to take authority they don't already own. They don't understand how to come by it honestly, so they do their best to pick-pocket it from unsuspecting schmucks ready to hand it over.
If you're one of those schmucks always giving away your power, you may also be passing up opportunities for advancement. If your boss has to continually introduce you and state your authority, it's time for you to grow up and leave home. Once for an introduction to new people is one thing; when they continue to bypass you because you are not standing your ground is another.
So how do you keep what is rightfully yours? And rightfully earn more? First, you do whatever it takes to have and maintain a clear understanding with your boss(es) on what your stated authority is. If you are not clear, you run the risk of making them look bad and yourself too, by overstepping your bounds in a hot moment. (There are ALWAYS hot moments of one kind or another). Second, understand that a very important part of authority comes from truly KNOWING you speak for your team. You have decision-making power conferred upon you by the team you serve. Don't back down. Don't offer to confer with your boss and get back to someone. Just tell them you'll find out if you don't know something. Keep your dignity. A superior demanding to see your boss because he/she thinks you are insufficient may have never learned how to earn authority and is desperately flapping what little they have out there to make it seem bigger than it is.
Third, don't sweat it if the people you are trying to work with in a particular situation just refuse to deal with you and insist on going above your head. There are always a few. Keep your calm. Remember that Christ has given you authority to trample serpents (so to speak) so someone else's temper tantrum is not going to force you to take out your authority wallet and empty it in their hands. Do try your best to give your bosses a "heads up" that escalation is coming and why. They will understand if you have worked on staying aligned, because it happens to them too...more than you might think.
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