There are two common mistakes that people make, in regards to authority. I think that the most common, is the resistance or rejection of authority figures as a knee-jerk, or emotional reaction. Unfortunately, I can't say that the abuse of the power that authority gives is a rare occurrence. Both of those issues are related, and they have similar effects; they contribute to a bloated prison population, and they foster mistrust among us.
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The role of the supervisor is a very important one. In society and in the workplace, rules are enacted in order to restrict behavior that is damaging, to everyone's interests. Without authority figures chaos emerges and the cost of chaos is loss of revenue, loss of property and loss of life. As a person in a position to either create or enforce laws, you have to understand that in order to do your job correctly, the decisions you make must benefit your subordinates, as well as your employer and yourself. The moment that your status becomes linked to your self-esteem, or when it becomes your pass to do any number of objectionable things, is exactly when your power should be stripped away.
Along those same lines, subordinates and average citizens have to realize their responsibility. In fact, those roles are crucial, because those of us in power are few and far between and that power is only there for as long as the masses allow it. So in that way, subordinates are managers as well and they have an equal part to play, to protect the well-being of us all. If you're someone that doesn't enjoy being told what to do and you immediately dislike, or mistrust someone who is tasked to do so, you should understand the danger involved in submitting to those feelings.
Authority figures must be there, and they will remain for as long as human society endures. In order to live together successfully, lawmakers have to question every law they enact and supervisors have to enforce laws with good will and conscience. That leaves the majority of us, under those laws, to abide by those that are just. We must recognize that every authority figure isn't one to rebel against, just as we understand that every one isn't worth following.
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