Ask for Authority - Take Responsibility

Frustration in organizations begins with someone saying “If I only had the authority to I’d … (fill in the blank)”. When someone says this one of two things are happening ; they are either expressing a strong propensity for leadership, innovation and initiative, or just cloaking a complaint in language that doesn’t make them responsible for change. We understand authority as the power to make things happen. That’s the organizational chart way of looking at things; top down, low-risk, chain of command. What if we turned this on it’s head, stopped looking at the organizational chart, and linked the power to change things to responsibility?

Opening the door to this way of thinking is one way to tap the initiative of our Scouts. How do you respond to a Scout who says “I think we ought to go on more backpacking trips”? How about; ” Okay, then, make the arrangements and we’ll go”? The real challenge is creating an atmosphere where that sort of question is welcomed.