The Fall of Authority: The Breakdown of Feedback Mechanisms
When a leader loses authority, a situation arises in which the natural feedback loop—meant to correct and balance team interactions—is disrupted. Firstly, there is a failure at two key stages of this mechanism. On one hand, as noted in one source, the feedback becomes uninformative—that is, the individual does not receive accurate insights into how their actions are perceived by others. This indicates a breakdown in the transmission of information, where the message fails to reach the recipient in its true form. For example, the text states:"Firstly, feedback often turns out to be uninformative, meaning that the person to whom it is addressed does not receive true information about how they are perceived (there is a breakdown in the feedback transmission chain). Secondly, the information is received but is either not perceived, is rejected, or is distorted..." (source: link txt)Secondly, when leadership loses its authority, team members may begin to perceive the leader ambiguously—initially through a process of idealization and then through attack, while avoiding critically important dialogue. This process is extremely destructive to team communication, as it replaces constructive exchanges with superficial, emotionally charged interactions where criticism fails to address the core issues. The text describes this phenomenon as follows:"Often they refuse to acknowledge that those in power have their shortcomings. They cannot interact plainly with someone responsible; it is very difficult for them to find common ground in truth. All their conversations are tinged with fear and childishness. Very frequently, they elevate the leader onto a pedestal, idealize him, and then attack him as if wishing to make the target more accessible. They make every effort to avoid striking him directly in the heart; they are content with wounding him in the leg." (source: link txt)Thus, the breakdown of the feedback mechanism when a leader loses authority manifests in two main aspects. On one hand, there are informational failures where feedback no longer serves its corrective function; on the other, there is a distortion of perception, where team relations shift into phases of idealization followed by subsequent attacks on leadership. This, in turn, hampers effective communication, reduces mutual understanding and trust within the team, and impedes the joint decision-making process necessary for successful team work.