March 13, 2026

Three Types of Power to Claim in Your Classroom

There are days when we may not feel particularly powerful. We may struggle to gain the level of attention we seek, the cooperation we need, and the results we desire. Of course, the diverse personalities, lives, and current moods of our students, as well as our preparation and disposition, each play a role in how the day unfolds and how productive we feel and are.

Nevertheless, there are sources of power we can tap to counter and overcome many of the challenges we face and increase the impact of our efforts. In fact, experts note that teachers as leaders in the classroom possess three potentially potent sources of power: Positional power, influential power, and network power. Each of these sources can provide crucial elements of influence important to effective classroom management and productive instruction.

Fortunately, these sources of power do not compete. In fact, their presence can complement each other. When combined, they can offer substantial and sustained support to our teaching impact and classroom management. Let’s examine these three types of power and how they can provide us with the influence we need to be successful with students.

Positional power is derived from the institution. Teachers possess a measure of this type of power by virtue of their position of authority in schools and classrooms. The position permits teachers to set expectations, establish classroom-based structures and routines, make instructional and grading decisions, establish classroom level policies, and determine other formal roles, rules, and responsibilities. This power is most effective when exercised with consistency, purpose, and predictability. Effective use of positional power helps to protect and employ learning time efficiently, promote stability and safety, and clarify acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Positional power is most useful when it is used to create clarity rather than to primarily exercise control.

Influential power finds its source in teacher characteristics and behaviors. Influential power is the ability to persuade. It draws from familiar elements of persuasion: Ethos, pathos, and logos, or credibility, emotion, and logic. We build influential power through the demonstration of competence, coaching and modeling, relationship building, empathy and encouragement, and other interpersonal behaviors that communicate caring, credibility, and consistency. Influential power supplements positional power by building and leveraging influence rather than defaulting to formal authority. Influential power can support our efforts to motivate students, build engagement, and encourage learning risk-taking. Influential power is best suited for shifting from a compliance-based classroom culture to one based on commitment.

Network power relies on and draws from relationships, connections, and collaboration. Network power leverages partnerships with parents, other staff members and coaches, community connections, and others in the lives of students who hold positions of influence and opportunity. Often there are others in the lives of students who can provide support beyond what we can offer, who have the potential to influence students in ways not available to us, and who may see elements and aspects of students’ lives that can inform and support our efforts. Students exist in a world larger than the classroom or school; network power can activate sources of influence that exist in the broader world where students listen, learn, and respond. Network power takes a wholistic approach to supporting and influencing students.

As noted earlier, each source of power is important to our success. They are not in competition. In fact, when employed thoughtfully and consistently, each source of power can support and complement the others. However, there are some cautions to observe:

Our powers need to be grounded in caring and support, not manipulation.
Trust is crucial to the effective exercise of any of the three sources of power.
We need to avoid overuse or becoming overly reliant on any one source of power.
Neglecting any of the sources of power can diminish the impact of other sources.
When we experience what feels like reduced power, we may need to examine all three sources to understand and shift the situation.

Of course, there are other sources of power—intimidation, coercion, threat—that can seem as though they are effective in the moment, but they carry significant risks of backfiring and creating resistance and resentment. Our best course of action is to draw on sources of power that are grounded in respect, transparency, and trust.