Series 3: Episode 1 – What does it mean to be an “authority”?

In this episode, we define authority and its many manifestations within a classical Christian school setting. We consider auctoritas, authority’s connection to ethos, and authority’s connection to various types of power. We discuss reward power, coercive power, referent power, expert power, information power, and legitimate power in terms of the family and school settings. (For more on the types of power, see Leadership: Theory and Practice by Northouse.) We discuss the ways in which power and authority are connected to leadership, and how to rightly steward authority.