Authority is not the same as designation.
A title can create access. It can create visibility. It can even create compliance. But it does not automatically create authority.
Authority is better judged by what happens to the quality and trajectory of work when a person enters the system. Does the problem become clearer? Do trade-offs become more visible? Do people move with better judgement? Does the work improve after the conversation?
This is different from positional control. Positional control can force action. Earned authority improves the quality of action.
The useful test is not whether people listen when you speak. The better test is whether the work becomes sharper, more honest and more consequential because you were involved.
That kind of authority is built slowly. It comes from judgement, reliability, clarity, timing, and the ability to carry complexity without making the room heavier.
Some people have designation but do not improve the work. Some people have limited formal power but change the standard of thinking around them.
Over time, organisations learn the difference.