With authority comes the responsibility

It is an undeniable fact that it’s God’s decision (Allah) what people have been bestowed with throughout their lifespan, whether it’s positive or negative, pleasing or displeasing. Perhaps it’s true that “life is unfair” sometimes. Some of you believe in this as you see people being given certain authority which is beyond their ability. However, you don’t know whether it’s their luck or responsibility being misplaced on them. Anyway we can change nothing. We have to accept the fact.

Undoubtedly, fortunes and fates have been distributed by the Almighty Allah to all humans irrespective of their origin, religion, language and culture. It’s all about everyone’s chance in life as some people are getting good fortune and becoming wealthy while others are just means behind making others’ dreams come true.

Hence, human beings are paving each other’s paths to live their destiny, make a living and fulfill ambitions.

This has been highlighted thus in the Holy Quran: “We raise some of them above others in ranks so that some may command work from others. But the Mercy of the Lord is better than the (wealth) which they amass.”

We all believe in this as whatever we get is a blessing that works well for us even though that may not be what we want. Those who are superior to us and given the authority should be more responsible in whatever they do. As the saying goes, “with authority comes responsibility”. As they have accepted the authority, they are obliged to shoulder the responsibility of their team, jobrelated tasks and productivity.

Otherwise, they don’t fit into the position and they don’t deserve the authority given to them. Thus, they prove their inability to hold that particular position or mission.

That’s why some officials and bosses are being unfair to the authority they have been given by their employers. Possibly they can be called “unaccountable and dishonest” to their responsibility. Not only that, they are being disloyal and disrespectful to the commitment anticipated from him/ her. Accordingly, such kind of people in charge would be unreliable and unsafe to work with; their teams and colleagues would not rely on him/ her anymore.

The irresponsibility of those managers and bosses could be formed in different ways, some of which is the unwillingness to take decisions, misleading teams and inability to handle tasks or solve problems. Unfortunately, today there are lots of managers who have got positions by fortune or as a reward for scratching other’s backs.

Thus, they are not able to handle posts with authority. Sometimes they can be challenged by their own team members who are more capable and responsible.

How can an irresponsible and incapable manager lead a team or advise them? Always a blind person is unable to guide others and show them the way. His colleagues will be unsafe with him because they can’t rely on him or even feel a sense of belonging to his leadership. As Mother Teresa said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

Although people’s talents in different spheres of life complement each other’s needs, but when it comes to leadership it should be given to a competent person. A boss cannot be always a leader as he might be able to execute things alone, but unable to lead a team.

Thus, leadership and authority should be given to people who are more responsible, reliable, wise and self-confident. A leader is the one who shoulders the responsibility and not become a burden.