Principle 10: Use Authoritative Evidence

The Concept

An Excerpt from Influencing Like Jesus

Digging Deeper: Examples of the Authority Principle

The Concept

When we want to know the best course of action, we very often look to the opinions of experts and others in position of authority.

An Excerpt from Influencing Like Jesus

From early in our childhood, we’re conditioned to obey or at least respect authority: parents, teachers, coaches, police officers, pastors, you name it. Legitimate authorities abound when you’re six years old. But they also abound when you’re twenty-six, fifty-six, and ninety-six. Signals of authority, like a person’s credentials, position, title, knowledge—even the quality of their house, clothing, or car—become shortcuts for us to decide whether we should defer to them. 

Have you noticed this? Many people deny that they do it, but experiment after experiment shows almost everyone does this, usually subconsciously. When we want to know the best course of action, we very often look to the opinions of experts. Want to know how to get your kid to behave? Get a parenting book. Hoping for a better marriage? Visit an expert’s web site on marital bliss. Want to know how to make that initiative at work successful? Benchmark someone who’s already done it successfully. Want to know which car to purchase? Read the ratings from the objective third parties who hand out the awards. Looking for the path to spiritual fulfillment? Chat with a pastor. 

In fact, I suspect that you’d be amazed if you went through this day—just this one day—taking inventory of the number of times that seemingly authoritative advice influences people’s thinking. To get you started, look at the list I compiled over the past couple hours:

• On that back of a book I’m reading I found endorsements—glowing statements about the book from people with impressive titles. It’s a boring book, but with authority figures like these singing the praises of a book, I feel the tug to read it a little more closely.
• While surfing the web, I stumbled across information intended to discourage teenagers from smoking. It cites authorities like the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Cancer Society to make its case.
• I hear the TV in the next room blaring something about how the critics are raving about how “progressive” and “creative” some new movie is. The ad’s trying to leverage the critics’ seeming expertise, of course.
• I was about to say to one of my kids: “Tell your brother to turn down the TV.” Instead, I choose to frame the request a bit differently: “Tell your brother that dad wants him to turn down the TV.” The TV gets turned down rather quickly.
• I turn back to the computer to find that a professor in another department has sent me an email: “The VP asked me to pull a team together to evaluate the undergraduate curriculum.  Can I count on your help?” I say yes, even though I don’t have the time. It’s the vice-president, after all.
• Later, I glance at the newspaper and one article notes that “a major study has connected workplace stress to heart disease and shorter life spans.” The study is from a leading research university, adding to the credibility of the findings. I vow to re-evaluate my level of workplace stress (right after I’m done with the curriculum committee assignment).

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Digging Deeper: Examples of the Authority Principle

Oprah's Book Club Get your book in this club and it's an instant best-seller. Why? Because someone recognized as an "authority" says it's a worthwhile read.

Doesn't get more authoritative than this Jesus said: "Go the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him 'The Lord needs it.'" (Luke 19:30-31)

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