The trap of illusory authority

By Herman M. Lagon

There is a strange moment that happens when you step down from a position of authority. It is not dramatic. No orchestra plays. No one announces, “You are now ordinary.” Instead, it is quieter and more dangerous. People still greet you the same way. They still ask for your opinion, online or face-to-face. Some still wait for your “blessing” before making a decision. And if one is not careful, it becomes very easy to believe that nothing has really changed. That illusion—that soft, seductive sense that your authority still lingers—is what makes illusory authority so difficult to notice and so easy to misuse.

A 90-second EQ TV vlog on “illusory authority syndrome,” shared by a respectable colleague, put words to something I had long felt—the way influence lingers after the title is gone. I learned this after stepping down as principal and retiring early from the private sector. What I thought were harmless visits carried weight. Conversations paused. Eyes shifted. People adjusted their tone. Not because I claimed authority, but because they remembered I once had it. Authority does not disappear when the title does. It lingers—in memory, in habit, in how people respond.

Psychology has long warned about this. Research shows that people who have held power often struggle to let go of influence, sometimes in subtle and unconscious ways (Anderson & Brion, 2014). It is not always arrogance. At the heart of it is discomfort. When someone has long been the one deciding, especially benefiting from it, stepping back feels like losing ground. So they hold on in small ways—suggestions that guide, questions that check, help that takes over, or, on the other end, silence that withholds, indifference that distances, and resistance that quietly undermines.

This turns into something larger. In our institutions, leadership transitions are layered with relationships, utang na loob (debt of gratitude or burden of obligation), and pakikisama (relational harmony or pressure to conform). Influence does not leave with the title. It stays with the people who still listen. Those who were once close may carry that influence forward. What you get is two systems at once—official leadership and remembered authority.

When influence begins to fade, resistance does not shout—it lingers. You see it in delays, in support that feels half there, in quiet gossip, in forced incompetence, and in polite nods that lead to nothing. The leader senses it, even without clear signs.

At its worst, research suggests this becomes an ego threat response—defensiveness and quiet obstruction. One does not need dramatic conflict to undermine leadership. Sometimes, all it takes is a well-placed “amo man na sang una” or a quiet comparison to how things “used to work better.” These are small phrases, but they carry weight. They remind everyone that there is a past standard, and that the present is being measured against it.

What complicates matters further is that illusory authority often comes wrapped in good intentions. A former dean may genuinely want to help. A retired department head may sincerely believe they are offering wisdom. Even insights from the Harvard Business Review have pointed out how leaders often over-rely on past successes, assuming what worked before will still apply today. The problem is not the desire to help. The problem is forgetting that context changes. What once worked may now interfere.

Of course, not all lingering influence is gentle or well-meaning. There are former officials—principals, deans, supervisors, campus administrators, directors, even presidents—who struggle to let go more forcefully. What appears as guidance can become pressure. What sounds like advice can carry the weight of command. In some spaces, their presence creates quiet tension, where people begin second-guessing the current leadership or waiting for signals from the past. This is where the challenge becomes real for the present leader. The response is rarely confrontation. It is steadiness. Clear boundaries, consistent decisions, and a calm refusal to be pulled into old patterns. Respect must remain, but so must direction. Because leadership cannot be shared with a shadow.

I slowly realized that leaving a role also meant leaving its influence behind. Fewer visits. Fewer opinions. Fewer coffee meetings. Fewer videoke soirees with former colleagues. Fewer chances to unintentionally steer things. It did not feel natural at first. But eventually, it felt right. Respect sometimes looks like stepping back.

For current leaders, this situation can be tricky. Confrontation is not always wise. What works better is clarity—clear roles, clear decisions, steady direction. Not loud, not defensive, just consistent. Over time, consistency earns its own authority.

And sometimes, resistance is not personal. As expert Lindred Greer and colleagues have shown in their research on power dynamics, shifts in authority naturally create tension.

There is also a quiet responsibility on those who used to lead. The discipline of stepping back is rarely talked about, but it may be one of the most important forms of leadership. It asks for an inner check: not “Can I still influence this?” but “Should I?” It calls for honesty—the kind that reminds us our identity and dignity are not tied to authority. Letting go should not be toxic or bitter, nor slow or partial. It has to be complete, authentic, and deliberate—so others can truly lead, and lead freely.

It took me time to understand this: authority does not leave when the title does. It stays in memory, in habit, in how people see you. But leadership asks for something harder—not just to step down, but to step back. Fully. Quietly. Without needing to remain part of every decision. Authority may linger, but leadership is measured by the grace to let it go.

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Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with.