And the winner is

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Actually I have to say first that I am surprised at your shyness. I get web stats for my blog so I know that hundreds and hundreds of people in over 17 countries have read that blog, yet only a couple are game to comment.

Anyway the answer is that the off duty policeman in his unmarked car went and got his hat.

What power a hat has, that it can instantly stop tons of speeding metal and strike fear into the heart of many who see it.

So what does the hat represent?
Authority.

The cop had no power to stop the traffic. If he had gotten in its way he’d be dead. But as soon as he donned his hat he suddenly had authority. People automatically make an association that goes like this.
1. Look there’s someone standing in the road
2. It’s a cop
3. If I disobey him I could be arrested
4. If I am arrested i could end up in court and even go to jail
5. I will follow his instructions

This process takes a nano second. So if we short circuited it we could say that a policeman’s hat represents the entire legal system and the consequences of disobeying it. In other words it carries authority.

Many of us crave power because we don’t understand authority. I know business people who treat their staff like cr*p because they seek power. They think that by exerting power over their staff they will somehow gain their respect.

Reality is that they lose respect and trust and loyalty from everybody. What they are really seeking is authority.

When Nelson Mandela stands up to speak everybody listens. Why?, because he has an authority that has come from years of mistreatment and abuse that he not only survived, but he overcame with dignity, integrity and love.

When I read the book on Robert Laidlaw’s life, (the guy who started Farmers), his staff adored him, admired and respected him because he had shown his love and commitment to them over and over again. He never abused his power and he consistently put his people first. The resultant authority he carried was amazing.

Almost without a doubt there will be relationships in your life that have power issues that can be resolved with understanding authority.

For example lets say you have a friend or associate who is doing something you disagree with or think is destructive to them. You try to talk to them and they react with anger or “none of your business”.
You try again and eventually they won’t even speak to you. What’s going on here? You are trying to exercise power over another person and they don’t like it.

Now what say instead of telling then what is wrong with them you instead pursue a friendship with them that focuses on you showing how much you genuinely care about them. The day they feel genuinely loved and therefore safe with you, you will have the authority to speak into their lives and they will welcome it. And what’s more they will leave that door open to you for life as long as you never revert to trying to exercise power over them.

Understand the difference and make a commitment to yourself to walk in authority, earn it no matter how long it takes, it is a secret of a successful life.

Stay Safe ~ Dean Letfus @ www.MassiveAction.co.nz