Birkman Components: Authority

Components: Authority


What does Birkman mean by Authority? The Need to Speak with Authority How you deal with directing and controlling. Suggest vs. Tell AUTHORITY measures verbal dominance and includes persuasive interaction, speaking up, expressing opinions openly and a forceful approach to ideas. Authority addresses the approach used in directing and controlling or persuading others in verbal exchanges. High scores reflect persuasive, verbally competitive, forceful behavior, a preference for strong give and take about issues and a tendency to become argumentative and domineering when stressed by perceived lack of engagement (or listening) from others or a feeling they are trying to “win the argument”. Low scores reflect agreeable, easy going, low key behavior, a preference for low key and non- aggressive interactions about ideas and a tendency to appear to give in or disengage when stressed by perceived aggression or argumentativeness from others.

Components – Four Possible Patterns

In reviewing any of the Birkman Components, there are four possible patterns that might be generated. We have listed the combinations here for Authority with the approximate percentage of the population that will show each pattern, as well as some narrative descriptions for how to understand these patterns.