Authority Quote by Dee Hock
“Leadership: Here is the heart and soul of the matter. If you look to lead, invest at least 30% managing those with authority over you, and 15% managing your peers. Use the remainder to induce those you 'work for' to understand and practice...lead yourself, lead your supervisors, lead your peers, and free your people to do the same. All else is trivia.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Birth of the Chaordic Age by Dee Hock, 1999
Effective leadership requires allocating time: 30% managing superiors, 15% peers, and the rest empowering all to lead, making hierarchy a collaborative network.
In simple terms: Lead by sharing leadership.
Key Takeaway
Distribute leadership responsibilities.
Themes
leadership
collaboration
empowerment
Mood
strategic
inspirational
Type
leadership
practical
When to use this quote
- corporate management
- nonprofit teams
- project groups
- community initiatives
Key Concepts
Systems thinking
distributed authority
Questions to Reflect On
- How will you measure the impact of shared leadership?
- What obstacles might arise when empowering peers?
A Different Perspective
Balancing time among levels can be unrealistic in fast‑moving environments.
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)
