Page 12 - Here and Now – Apr 2024

b) Some unrealistic standards of conduct from all authority figures of being ideals and
not human.

3) Denial of self-authority: In the process of expecting all expertise, guidance and support

to come from authority, there is a denial of one’s own resources and personal power.
This leads to a dependency mode and distance with the authority figures as well as
setting up a competent person as authority in groups and looking up to him/her.

4) Blindness to or disinterest in peers’ resources: This paradigm often leads to low interest
in listening to peers and not utilising the peer resources for learning and support.

5) Dependent and counter dependent mode of relationship: One aspect of these myths
is that they are imposed as shoulds, do’s and don’ts on authority figures and make
people oblivious of their own behaviour towards them. The behaviour towards
authority figures is often rebellious as well as demanding validation and affirmation of

self-leading to such unrealistic as well as contradictory conditions which are often
unfulfilled, giving reasons to counter or feel let down. It keeps people in dependent and
counter dependent mode of relationship as opposed to interdependence and sabotages
the overall leadership potential of self, group and organisations.

6) Dehumanisation of people in Authority: These processes also put pressure on people
in authority in turn to manipulate self and be inauthentic to gain acceptance.
Whosoever (whether person in authority) or the person seeing him/ her as authority
holds the assumptions and myths, does not give permission to self and others to use
their human authentic self and hence limits the overall potential and diminishes the

group’s power to perform.

These phenomena have significant impact on empowerment of people, people development,
leadership processes & effectiveness, collaboration and partnership in organisations across
levels.

Human process laboratories and other experiential development
programmes can play a role to help people work through these issues. I
believe that one of the basic agenda of laboratories is to facilitate

people in dealing with authority issues, and work through them for
personal development. This kind of development work should ideally
result in a new set of beliefs and actions leading to greater use of self-
authority, peer resources, taking responsibility, utilizing competence of all,
learning, partnership and growth.

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