How to Establish Your Authority as a Subject Matter Expert

YOU DON'T WANT TO BE THE LEADER
Most people don't want to be recognized as the authority. Some people reject the idea so strongly that they would rather deny the necessity for any type of leadership than to assume responsibility for the actions of others.

No matter strongly you might feel about your own personal need for authority, the fact is, there are people around you who definitely need direction. Things need to be done in order for you to accomplish and maintain progress, both personally and as a group. I get a glimpse of how important this is every day, as I teach Spanish to elementary school students. The inescapable reality is, the only thing they really want to do is play. Furthermore, the younger they are, the more they want to play.  But my mission is to teach them Spanish and I only have about three hours a week for classroom instruction. Since I am the only person in the room who speaks Spanish, it is clearly up to me "call the play." So, we clap, chant, sing, read and write. Sometimes, we even draw! Bit by bit, they learn Spanish. 

You may not be a classroom teacher  but you get the gist and can come to the same conclusion within the context of your own life. It doesn't really matter if you're an entrepreneur, a professional, a parent or a priestess; it is a bit obvious that you need to establish expert authority in your circle of greatest influence. That is, people need to know that you're going to assume responsibility for maintaining your area of expertise in a way that benefits the group. As you are able to do so, you will also provide a powerful platform on which to build all other development initiatives. For example, as a Spanish teacher, I could also organize study abroad experiences or publish supplemental learning materials.  

Because establishing authority is a process, you are liable to experience many developmental phases. At every phase, however, you can expect to have some kind of trouble positioning yourself and developing leadership influence. What follows is a set of key skill sets and strategies to consider in regards to establishing authority in your circles of greatest influence:

• Technology. At least half of authority is based on your ability to facilitate progress, about half of which is the result of technology. As a teacher, I rely upon white boards, markers, books, pencils, paper and musical instruments. Orisa Ogun governs technology - i.e., tools, weapons, machinery and equipment. As a result, the elders say anyone who disregards Ogun will eat his food raw and with bare hands.  This is all about hardware, the tools of the trade.  
• Organization & Planning. Collecting tools and equipment is one thing; using the tools according to a planned strategy is quite another. Success comes to us to the extent that we are willing to create action plans. This is important to your credibility and influence because, with proper planning, you and your team can make decisions that remain consistent over time. Not only that, organization and planning is directly connected to evaluation and reporting. 
• Empowerment. What better way to demonstrate your authority than to deputize others and empower them to lead? In this regard, empowerment is really a byproduct of organization and planning. In a classroom setting, teachers usually create duties, as well as reward high performance, both of which can be tied to evaluation and reporting. These are organizational features that can easily support empowerment opportunities. 
• Flexibility. The best leaders love change. However, while some are likely to lose sight of what to do to stay on track in the midst of change, you want to be the one who remains focused on the vision. More importantly, when the opportunity to change presents itself, you further assert your authority by implementing protocol that integrates the changes into the existing operations. In my middle school Spanish class, I once introduced a song because it was a designated "song day". It just so happened that the song featured a grammatical structure that I had been teaching earlier that week. Because they song is really catchy, it created a perfect opportunity for them to learn the grammar in a much more fun way. So, we sang it for three classes in a row, instead of one. 

Technology, Organization & Planning, Empowerment and Flexibility are all parts of one system, YOUR system. You'll first have to grapple with building a system that works for you. Gradually, you'll increase your authority as you learn to build systems.  Eventually, as you optimize it, your system will enable you to get things done, AND have more time to focus on the things you do best. 

So, what can you do to position yourself as an authority? Start by evaluating your true competitive advantage and how you solve important problems for the people you serve. Once you get clear about that, you can map out a system that supports your natural gifts and talents.  If you refuse to create a system and establish your authority, the people within your circle of influence will suffer. Marianne Williamson said it perfectly: 

​"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Over time and with consistent effort, momentum will build, and you will start to catalog a collection of useful content, that might include assets like videos, blog posts, podcast or radio show interviews, or even your own published book.

Do you need help establishing your authority? Let me show you how! 

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