Is all authority illegitimate? I wonder about experts in fields and experiential based authority. Like I think we should listen to epidemiologists and immunologists more than farmer Joe who might be a great guy and down to Earth but is not an expert on vaccines. Even in a socialist or communist society, where he is not spouting harmful rhetoric, he still objectively knows less than a doctor in said field.

Same for energy and power plants. I would trust a nuclear physicist or engineer in that field and topic, more than someone who has nothing to do with said field.

That doesn't mean they then get to be a boss or set up an arbitrary hierarchy but there is objectively some form of authoritative voice there in their field.