BVO — The Quiet Risk of “By Virtue Of” Authority
Thu Jun 25 2026
BVO — The Quiet Risk of “By Virtue Of” Authority
The idea for this started in a conversation with my father, who served in the UK Royal Air Force.
We were talking about authority; where it comes from and why people respond to it the way they do. He told me a story from his time delivering presentations in his area of expertise. At the start of each session, he would put his name on the screen followed by three letters: BVO.
In a military environment, acronyms matter. They signal rank, qualifications, and credibility. So, without fail, someone would ask: What does BVO stand for? What level is that?
His answer was simple: “By Virtue Of.”
By virtue of standing in front of you, you assume I have authority.
That observation has stayed with me, because it captures something fundamentally human. We are wired to look for signals of expertise; titles, uniforms, credentials, reputation, and when we see them, we relax. Our uncertainty drops. Our willingness to accept what we are hearing increases.
And often, we stop questioning.
This is what I (and my Dad) refer to as BVO authority: “By Virtue Of.” The authority we grant automatically, without validation, simply because of who is speaking.
The Many Faces of Authority
Authority is not a single thing. It comes from multiple sources, and not all of them are equal.
Some forms of authority are legitimate and hard-earned:
- Earned authority comes from experience, delivery, and repeated proof of capability.
- Experiential authority comes from being close to the problem; those who live it daily often understand it best.
- Situational authority emerges in context, where the most relevant expertise should lead, regardless of title.
These are the forms of authority that tend to produce good decisions.
But in practice, organisations often default to others:
- Positional authority — “They’re the boss.”
- Credentialed authority — “They have the qualifications.”
- Institutional authority — “They’re from a respected firm.”
- Reputational authority — “They’re well known in the industry.”
And then there is the most subtle of all:
- BVO authority — “They must be right… because of who they are.”
A prime example of this, especially in Government, is the use of the big consulting firms. Too often I see very large and expensive reports from the big firms that senior leaders use as an abdication of their accountability and responsibility, “but I got X firm in, so it must be right”, not a good move and one I see fail too often.
The Problem for CIOs
In technology leadership, this dynamic is amplified.
We operate in domains that are complex, fast-moving, and often poorly understood outside specialist roles. That creates a vacuum, one that is easily filled by confident voices with perceived authority.
The risk is not just poor decisions. It is unquestioned decisions.
- A vendor recommendation goes unchallenged because of brand reputation.
- A senior leader’s view on AI is accepted despite limited hands-on exposure.
- A strategy persists because it was set by someone no one feels comfortable questioning.
Over time, this creates fragility. Decisions become less about what is right and more about who is speaking.
Rebalancing Authority
Strong organisations do not eliminate authority, they rebalance it.
They create environments where:
- Earned and situational authority can surface, regardless of hierarchy.
- Frontline and technical voices are not just heard but actively sought.
- Ideas are tested on merit, not origin.
This requires deliberate leadership.
As CIOs, we need to ask:
- Who is speaking? and why are we listening?
- What type of authority is being exercised here?
- Are we privileging confidence over competence?
Because the most dangerous decisions are rarely made in ignorance. They are made in assumed certainty.
Moving Beyond “By Virtue Of”
“By Virtue Of” authority is not inherently wrong. Titles, experience, and reputation all matter.
But they should be signals, not substitutes for thinking.
The goal is not to diminish authority, but to earn it continuously, and to recognise it in others when it appears in less obvious places.
Because in a world of increasing complexity, the best answers rarely come from the most senior voice in the room.
They come from the most relevant one.
As a consulting/on demand/fractional/virtual CIO (pick your flavour) I work with my customers so they understand the advice I am giving, its basis rooted in their business, and the implications of the advice so they can make informed decisions not blindly accept the advice because it came from a “consultant”.
Be safe out there.
Share This:
More Blog Posts:
Sun May 03 2026