The point is that "authority" or "influence" without context doesn't mean much. Your friend is Vice-President at Google. So, how influential/authoritative is he

The point is that "authority" or "influence" without context doesn't mean much. Your friend is Vice-President at Google. So, how influential/authoritative is he in the world of sports? How influential is Roger Federer in the tech world? Would you rather have Ashton Kutcher as an investor or, say, Paul Graham? One number won't tell you the information you need to answer these questions.