Why Words Matter for Leaders
Authority, power, and leadership are three words that often get thrown together as if they mean the same thing. But they don’t. And when you’re managing people, running rehearsals, or guiding a team, the way you understand these terms can shape the culture you create.
For years, I blurred these concepts in my own work. I used the words interchangeably, and while that might not sound like a big deal, it affected how I communicated and how people received me. Once I began consciously unpacking authority, power, and leadership, I realized I had been carrying unspoken assumptions about what each meant. That recognition changed the way I lead.
This is not about academic definitions or leadership jargon. It’s about stripping these words down to their working parts, so that leaders in stage management and beyond can use them with intention.
Titles, Trust, and the Subtle Shifts of Influence
Authority can show up in two ways — formal and informal. Both are important, and both can be misunderstood. Recognizing this nuance is essential for understanding authority, power, and leadership in practice. For a deeper dive into how production work itself moves in stages and shifts responsibilities, see The Six Phases of Production
Formal Authority
Formal authority comes with position. A principal at a school, a production stage manager in a rehearsal hall, a director leading staging choices — these are clear examples. Formal authority is written into the job description.
But formal authority isn’t universal. A production manager may outrank a stage manager on the organizational chart, but when they walk into a rehearsal, the stage manager still holds authority in that context. Titles don’t automatically transfer across every situation. Recognizing this nuance is essential for understanding authority, power, and leadership in practice.
Informal Authority
Informal authority is different. It doesn’t come with a title — it’s earned. Think of the colleague you go to when you need advice, or the person in the room who others instinctively listen to. That’s informal authority.
Stage management teams illustrate this balance well. A PSM holds formal authority, but often ASMs develop more informal authority with the cast. They’re closer to the daily work, more available for quick questions, and more naturally embedded in the group’s rhythms. Informal authority doesn’t undermine formal authority; it reinforces it when both are respected.
Key Practices
- Formal authority requires clarity. Own your role, but also recognize when authority shifts in the room.
- Informal authority requires time. Build it through listening, trust, and human connection.
- Authority is not static. It moves with context, and good leaders notice when it shifts.
Presence, Body Language, and the Energy You Bring
Power is not just about control. It is about presence, communication, and the dynamics that shift when you enter a space. Authority gives you permission; power is how you show up.
Physical Presence
Where you stand, how close you are, and how you move communicates power. A stage manager at the back of a room reinforces hierarchy; a stage manager walking into the circle of conversation redistributes power.
This doesn’t mean always stepping in. Sometimes the best move is to step back, to let others work through a problem without your weight pressing on it. That too is a choice of power.
Body Language
Our bodies tell the truth even when our words don’t. Crossed arms, avoiding eye contact, turning away — these cues undermine open dialogue. Leaders who want to invite trust need to practice open body language: nodding, turning toward speakers, leaving arms uncrossed. This communicates availability, not defense.
Levels of Interaction
Power also shifts with physical levels. Standing when someone else is seated can increase tension; sitting when someone is upset can de-escalate. Adjusting your level communicates alignment or care, often more effectively than words.
Key Practices for Power
- Notice your presence. Proximity changes dynamics.
- Match body language to intention. Openness creates trust.
- Use levels deliberately. Standing, sitting, or moving closer can change the tone of the conversation.
Where Authority and Power Converge
Leadership is the practice that integrates authority and power. It’s not about holding a title, and it’s not about dominating a room. Leadership is about showing up human-first, making intentional choices, and creating space for others to succeed.
Feedback as Leadership in Action
Feedback is one of the hardest leadership tools to master. Inviting feedback is risky, because you might hear something uncomfortable. Giving feedback is equally difficult, because it risks being received as harsh. But authority, power, and leadership require feedback loops to thrive.
- Inviting feedback shows vulnerability and curiosity.
- Offering feedback with compassion sets boundaries without shutting people down.
- Receiving feedback with presence keeps leadership honest and human.
Modeling Through Values
The most credible leaders model their values. For me, this meant letting go of the split between “Bryan at work” and “Bryan at home.” Once I aligned my personal values with my stage management values, my leadership became more authentic. Accountability, consistency, and presence became easier when I wasn’t trying to play two roles.
Communication with Empathy
Empathy is the connective tissue of leadership. Active listening, repeating back what you’ve heard, and staying physically present with open body language are not soft extras — they are foundational tools. Empathy doesn’t mean carrying others’ burdens, but it does mean creating a space where people feel seen.
Vulnerability as Strength
Leadership requires vulnerability. Saying “I don’t know,” asking for help, or admitting mistakes does not diminish your authority or power — it reinforces your humanity. And humanity is what people choose to follow. There’s so much more I can go into about vulnerability and how it’s helped me open up as a person and as a leader, but that is an article in itself. If you want to go deeper, Brené Brown’s work on vulnerability is a valuable resource for leaders.
Key Practices
- Make feedback a two-way practice.
- Align your values across personal and professional life.
- Use empathy and active listening as daily tools.
- Choose vulnerability as a leadership strength.
Why They Matter Together
Authority, power, and leadership are not synonyms. Authority is about roles and context. Power is about presence and influence. Leadership is about integrating both with authenticity and humanity.
Stage managers and creative leaders often operate in the tension between these three. Recognizing the difference allows us to lead with clarity instead of defaulting to habit. When we confuse them, we risk leaning on titles without connection, or influence without accountability. When we use them together intentionally, we create environments where people can do their best work.
Key Takeaways
- Authority, power, and leadership are distinct, but interconnected.
- Authority can be formal (title-driven) or informal (trust-driven). Both are necessary.
- Power is expressed through presence, body language, and levels of interaction.
- Leadership integrates authority and power with empathy, vulnerability, and feedback.
- Conscious use of authority, power, and leadership creates healthier, more effective teams.
Updated August 2025
