Authority

The Authority position takes responsibility for others, easily assumes leadership, focuses what needs to get done, and expresses confidence and optimism about their ability to solve problems. There are three flavors of the Authority position: 1) The first-born with lots of brothers and sisters that we take care of. We develop into protectors of the status quo and become more compliant with our parents. 2) First-borns with little influence over their siblings, with no apparent power granted to us by our parents. We develop into rebels and outcasts who try to prove that we know better than our parents how to do things. We can also become competitive, assertive, and aggressive as a way to be acknowledged. 3) First-borns who are only children. We have the greatest burden trying to be everything our parents want us to be, which is offset usually by being spoiled and coddled. We vacillate between responsible and not responsible. We like to think of ourselves as rebels, but are not really as rebellious as we appear. We do not develop as many socialization skills which can put us at a disadvantage in relationships.

Authority is the position usually assumed by the first-born. Born in the authority position, we are typically responsible and conservative, but assertive of our rights and needs. We seek the respect of others and will do whatever it takes to get the job done.

• Intellectual Strategies— We typically adopt the Realist Attitude because of its focus and power. If we are unable to gain and negotiate leverage, we resort to the Pragmatist framework.
• Emotional Strategies— Our favorite Goal is Dominance, but our backup is Growth, as it allows us to directly move forward.
• Action Strategies— Our favorite Mode is Power, but we find it strategic to operate in Observation mode to notice the strengths and weaknesses of others.
• Body Type Preferences— We feel most comfortable with either height or bulk, suggesting Quiet Authority, Sporty Action, or Group Anchor Body Types.
• Clues to Recognizing a Firstborn— Authority types typically look independent, self-assured and have a sense of organizational intent. (Note: Watch how Firstborn individuals can express themselves optionally as rebels. The key is that Authorities do Status Quo or do Rebellion, which are both Self-directive.)

Examples of Firstborns: Madonna, Sigmund Freud, Jonas Salk, Winston Churchill, Robin Williams, Bobby Seale, Emma Thompson, Theodore Roosevelt, Gloria Estefan, Roberto Mussolini, Anita Bryant, Mao Tse Tung, John Kennedy, Antonio Banderas, Sandra Bullock, Isaac Newton, Alfred Hitchcock, Johannes Keppler, Fred Astaire, Brad Pitt, Will Wheaton, Louis Agussiz, George Cuvrer, Joseph Stalin, Andy Kaufman, Timothy Dalton, James Watson, Linus Paulling, Francis Cook, Galileo, John the Baptist, Marilyn Monroe, Mary Astor, George Gamov, Sammy Davis Jr., Leonardo DaVinci, Oscar Wilde, Charles Lindburgh, Einstein, Duchess of Windsor, Indira Ghandi, Picasso, Norman Mailer, George Washington, Lynden B. Johnson, Harry Truman, Leonard Bernstein, Henry Ford, Katherine Hepburn, Angela Davis, Gloria Steinem, Rose Kennedy, Glen L. Martin (aviation pioneer), Alfred Adler, Virgil I. (Gus) Grissom (astronaut), Bhudda, Mary Queen of Scots, Alice B. Toklas and Alexander Hamilton.