"Authority can be given but leadership must be earned." – Claudi Gray, American Writer
One has to earn the right to authority to assume a position of power whether leading corporate governance, running a government, or even managing a social club. Earned authority does not mean the power to make persuasive statements and powerful speeches with the third eye on campaign finances and its associated quirks. The qualifying power for earned authority is to be smart, articulate and intelligent enough to make all the right decisions that are fortuitously popular.
Jacques Maritain declared that “authority and power are two different things: power is the force by means of which you can oblige others to obey you. Authority is the right to direct and command, to be listened to or obeyed by others. Authority requests power. Power without authority is tyranny.” There is a priceless nugget that leaders, and those aspiring for leadership, ought to hoard in order to be loudly heard to prevent herd mentality.
Have Malaysian politicians earned the authority and power to be obeyed so that the governed are satisfied with their selections of leaders?