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legitimacy and authorization, however, those who usurp the role of leader actually have no genuine authority, even though they are in positions where they can rule.
    Any attempt to be in charge without authorization cancels authority. Many governments in nations around the world have had unauthorized rulers. Some of those rulers may have done extraordinary things, but they were still illegitimate.
    People who overthrow legitimate rule for the sake of taking power always have to keep looking over their shoulders for those who might do the same to them. They have established a precedent of disregard for established authority. They often have to kill people to get and keep their power because everyone is aware that it is not valid.
    A person can legitimately be “in charge,” but he has to earn his position and be authorized for it—through legal election, proper succession, a group’s consensus, and so forth. There is an account in the ancient Scriptures of a young shepherd named David who received authorization from God to succeed King Saul as the next king of Israel. A prophet was sent to tell him of his appointment and to anoint him for his rule. However, even with this divine sanction behind him, David did not take the throne until it was time for him to do so. He did not kill the current ruler, King Saul. As long as Saul was still alive, he did not usurp the throne, even though Saul sought to take his life. David stated, “I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the Lord’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:10). After Saul died, David then became the legitimate ruler of Israel.
    A Person Who Dominates
    While the “boss spirit” mainly refers to manipulation, and “in charge” refers to usurpation, the domination concept has to do with control. Many people confuse authority with domination.
    There are those whose operate entirely through control. Some of these people are so insecure that the only way they feel they can hide their vulnerability and have others’ respect is (ironically) to be heavy-handed.
    In order to maintain a state of control, those who operate according to this approach threaten others or use some of the negative techniques discussed above: they may exhibit a boss spirit, use force, and refuse to delegate because they don’t trust anyone else. They centralize all activity with themselves and become the hub of all power and decisions, micromanaging the activities of their organization, family, church, or nation. People who equate such domination with authority may grow to mistrust any parameters others try to put on them or their actions.
    Genuine authority doesn’t control but releases people to exercise their own authority. A true leader feels no need to dominate others but immediately shares his authority with them. He wants to delegate authority and encourage others to develop their own abilities.
    A Person Who Functions as a Dictator or Tyrant
    Some people think that a person who wields absolute power is in a place of authority. The very nature of a dictator cancels authority, however, because true authority does not demand unconditional rule over others.
    A dictatorship incorporates the domination approach, to a great extent. It does not allow freedom of expression or permit people to explore ideas and fully partake of opportunities for personal and professional growth—in essence, they are denied the ability to be fully human. People may confuse dictatorship with authority if they have lived under an oppressive system for a period of time so that it has become familiar, even though repressive.
    A dictator and a tyrant are similar in that instead of exhibiting true authority, they are authoritarian. One of the meanings of authoritarian is “of, relating to, or favoring blind submission to authority.” Someone with an authoritarian approach demands unquestioned obedience from others. The tyrant spirit is one of ultimate corrupt power that wants others to submit without thought