Authoritarian or Authority Figure?

I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Ron Heifitz speak on leadership. His remarks generated new insights that have helped clarify what I consider a C-Suite condition. As a result of working with and watching talented people rise to positions of greater responsibility, I have been struck by their seeming lose of what got them to these positions. Skills and capabilities like: being personable, open and trusting, caring, thoughtful, good listeners become overshadowed by just the opposite. Dr. Heifitz reminds us that we often confuse being an authority figure with good leadership and vice versa. "Getting to the top" may require that you are the most expert in your field, but it does not always mean having good leadership skills. Likewise, having good leadership skills does not always mean that you are the expert or the "authority" in your field.

But what should we expect from the people at the top of the organization? Expertise? The authority in their field? Or should they have great leadership skills? Some of the answer depends upon the organization. I speculate though that employees who work throughout these organizations want both. If push comes to shove, employees will opt for great leadership skills with the hope that the person in charge would use the employees for their expertise.

Is this making sense?