The notion of authority ismulti-faceted and multi-dimensional. Having authority isvery often understoodas beingan important figureand even role model for others, thanks to the knowledge, experience and adequate configuration of personality traits. However, itis not uncommon to identify the authority with power, force and coercion. This paper discusses the issue of the authority of the leader and explainsits importance in the process of humancapital management. Surveyscarried out among economically active students were aimed at indication of the modern understanding and position of authority in the employees’ system of values. Moreover we tried to specify the relationship between authority and power and to evaluate whether the leader who has authority more effectively manages human capital than a person assigned hierarchically to the specific managerial position