How to gain natural authority and respect: 9 tips

By developing a natural authority, leaders gain an authentic presence of respect as the basis of their leadership. Kathrin Renée Schüpbach-Schäfer is an expert in leadership in companies and knows the problems that come with the responsibility of being an authority figure, especially for young leaders. To be fully respected as a leader despite your young age, you need more than a diploma hot off the press. Kathrin Renée Schüpbach-Schäfer has followed an innovative career path from her many years as a human resources manager in large corporations to becoming an independent coach in her own training center and horse ranch. For us, she has summarized nine measures that help to develop a natural authority without pretending.

Measure 1: Respect creates respect.

If you don't get respect for your decisions, competencies, and even for yourself as a person, your authority will decay. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to establish respect is to respect others yourself. Make sure your interactions with your team are respectful. Establish a presence of respect, not only for yourself, but for everyone else.

Action 2: Change the perspective.

Put yourself in your employees' shoes: What needs and concerns does your team have? As a good leader, you not only need to know these needs and concerns. It is your responsibility to provide the right support for your employees.

Measure 3: Punish, threaten, fire? Natural authority does not need that.

The change in perspective described above gives you the opportunity to compare your own leadership style with the leadership style you expect from others. Do you want to be treated unfairly, for example by being threatened with dismissal for a mistake? Or do you rather expect support so that you will not make this mistake again in the future?

Measure 4: Stay human! Emotions and individuality are allowed.

Natural authority thrives on the fact that you do not pretend. You yourself are as individual as each member of your team. Accept your own emotions and motivations in the same way you accept them in your employees.

Action 5: Your body language is one way to convey confidence and trust.

Our body language can reveal much more about us than our words. Be sensitive to your body language and that of others. It is through facial expressions and gestures that you can tell that someone is overwhelmed with a task and needs support. For managers, their own body language is also an important means of conveying security, trust and responsibility to the team.

Measure 6: Being able to stick together - even in a crisis!

Every emergency and unpleasant surprise that hits you and your team is a challenge. Prove your leadership by consciously strengthening the cohesion of your employees. With your leadership, the whole team should know: Together we can do this - and much more.

Measure 7: Don't shy away from innovation, creativity, and certainly not criticism!

Landing an attractive leadership position can be lonely. You have sole responsibility for your team and its results. Don't be lonely: listen to what your employees have to say. Not only small talk and praise are important. Especially sensitive topics must not be suppressed for the successful development of a natural authority. Should you be criticized or even become the target of anger: A strong natural authority must learn not to fuel heated emotions and to face any criticism with confidence.

Measure 8: Good leadership requires patience. Give yourself and your team time.

For you and your team to get to know each other, to adjust to each other, it may take a while. Likewise, you won't have developed your natural authority from one day to the next. Give yourself and your team the time they need, because it will be worth it: A strong team under strong leadership will deliver much better results than a loose group of strangers.

Action 9: Don't bathe in the prestige of the whole team, but show individual personal appreciation.

We usually behave differently in groups than we do alone or in pairs. Do not be satisfied with your employees respecting you in the team. Be sensitive to the individual members and their individual characteristics. In addition to team discussions, allow for confidential and trusting conversations in private and express your personal appreciation.

Conclusion: No natural authority without mutual respect and appreciation

No matter which leadership style you want to practice: Kathrin Renée Schüpbach-Schäfer's measures for successfully developing natural authority make it clear how important personal and social aspects are for leaders. Only when employees honestly respect their superiors instead of submitting to their authority do true leadership qualities become apparent. In order for a convincing natural authority to develop and be permanently maintained, mutual respect, patience and empathy are needed. Kathrin Renée Schüpbach-Schäfer's approach of establishing ethical and social aspects even in the hierarchies of the working world is an innovative and positive possibility that managers should take a closer look at.

About the person

Fascinated by people and their limitless potential, founded Kathrin Renée Schüpbach-Schäfer over 20 years ago their QueensRanchAcacemy in Switzerland. Previously, she held various top positions in the economy. Most recently, she was responsible for the human resource management of a large company with over 6,500 employees.
Over the past 21 years, she has trained thousands of people and guided them on the path to becoming successful leaders. Kathrin Renée Schüpbach-Schäfer has developed the QRA method. This method successfully trains one's own leadership on the basis of the horses' DNA. The horses used in the process reflect one's own leadership behavior directly, honestly and relentlessly.