The Law of Fickleness
People are fickle because their attention is fickle. They don’t follow you forever because you were impressive once. They follow what feels alive, relevant, and emotionally compelling now.
Authority is not a title; it’s a perception. It rises when you appear confident, consistent, and aligned with the group’s needs. It collapses when you seem reactive, needy, or out of touch with the moment’s emotional weather.
The mature strategy is inner authority: a self-generated confidence that doesn’t beg for applause. When you stop chasing approval, your presence becomes steadier. And steady presence, in unstable environments, often attracts followers more than brilliance does.