Leadership and Influence

I was recently reading about Power and Influence and how both are different aspects of leadership. Many people seek power, thinking that it is the most valuable approach for leading others. You may have seen a teacher spending energy and effort trying to become the next school administrator or lead teacher. On the other hand, everyone has the ability to influence. When we choose to let go of a power grab and instead, seek to influence others through sharing, the more we actually have.

Power is where people can be forced to do something whereas influence is when people do things willingly.

Power can force others to behave in a certain way. Influence can change the way they behave. An effective leader leads by influence, not just power. A leader need not give up the power of their role, to exercise influence. Consider your own role in your school. Are you effectively using your influence? Are children being changed in the way they think about learning, education and their own abilities? Are co-workers being challenged by the role you’re modeling? And when it comes to classroom management, things don’t always operate smoothly when a teacher insists that students must show respect to the teaching position. Outcomes are much more positive when students do things willingly because a teacher has influenced their behavior.

It is much better if we seek to make changes through influence, and not through power.

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