Issue 644 Influence vs. Authority July 23, 2015

Do you know the difference between Influence and Authority?  Do you know there relationship to power?  Well, let's find out.

What they mean:  Both of these have an integral relationship to power, with power being the ability to compel someone or a number of people to do something whether it is in line with or against their will.  Now, this power is exercised in a number of ways, but there are two ways that it particularly manifests itself with respect to people interacting with other people.  Those manifestations are both Authority and Influence.  But what are these terms and what do they mean.  The easiest to understand is Authority.  It is literally the ability to command or control what goes on.  So, when you have authority over someone, you can compel them to do something by simply telling them to do it.   However, Influence is different.  It does not use commands to make someone do something.  Instead it is the ability to guide, or cause a change in someone's opinions or actions.  Basically, when someone has influence over someone else, they literally have the ability to change people through what they tell them because they are usually trusted in some way.  So someone you trust and whose advice you act upon is someone who has influence over you.  This is how both Authority and Influence are an exercise in power over others.  

Conclusion:  Politics is the exercise of power, and authority and influence are two forms of power that people have over other people.  Your boss, your parents, people who make laws or enforce laws are those with the authority form of power.  Friends, people you put your faith in, or people you look up to have the ability to influence others.  While these examples are very simplistic, it is not my intention to say that people having authority or influence over someone else is bad.  Instead, it is that you should be aware of how much power you are giving to others around you or how they use that power over others.  This lets us maintain independent thought, and protects us from abuse by others.  So basically be self-aware of power and its forms so that you do not end up losing power over yourself.