The problem is that it would be incredibly boring in the entertainment business to lay out realistic scenarios. So television and the movies have become quite adept and generating sympathetic characters who wield great power. In real-life, a police officer may have a 20 year career and never fire a gun. In real-life, nuclear submarine skippers are much more disciplined and better trained than the movies would suggest. Authority implies responsibility.
Authority implies self-discipline.
Authority can be delegated, responsibility cannot. Authority is granted solely for the good of those tendered to, not the one granted the authority. In recent times, when it appeared that Apple Computer was going to go under, the company was too busy fighting off The Angel of Death. Today, Apple is prosperous, healthy, and growing again. In order to wage new wars and preserve their fighting chances, Apple executives are now faced with the prospect of exercising much more power than when the company was virtually helpless in the marketplace.