Welcome to Autumn 2025. The Autumnal equinox is the date (today) when day & night are roughly equal in length, marking the official start of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.
I heard this week the idea that there are three types of authority.
Earned Authority - (derived from competence) Influence that comes from demonstrated competence, reliability, and respect earned over time. It’s not granted by title but by how well you perform and how you treat others.
Moral Authority - (derived from character) Power that comes from ethical example, integrity, and alignment with values. People follow because they believe the leader is doing the right thing.
Legal Authority - (derived from position) Power that comes from formal position, laws, regulations, or the chain of command.
The first is the most powerful. People will follow you because they want to, not because they have to (legal) or feel somehow obligated to (moral).
Be the kind of person people want to follow.
