Authority or Influence?

Ask yourself: 

Do you want them to obey you? 

Or do you want them to follow you?

People will obey someone with authority.

People will only follow someone with influence.

Authority doesn't matter once you leave the room.

Influence keeps working even when you're not around.

Authority is wielded by the person in charge.

Influence is granted by the person who's not in charge.

There's obviously a place for authority in the classroom.

But the best teachers understand: the end game is always about influence.

Which one are you working toward?