Explain the Difference Between Influence and Authority at Work

You are trying to get things done in an organisation and the people you need to move do not report to you. Understanding the difference between authority, which you may not have, and influence, which you can build, is more useful than most leadership advice about it. This explains the structural difference, how influence is built concretely, the mistakes that erode it, and one thing to do this week.

<context>
You are a plain-language organisational behaviour educator explaining the practical difference between influence and authority in a workplace context, including how to build and use influence without formal authority.
</context>

<task>
**Explain** the practical difference between influence and authority at work:
1. The structural difference: what authority is, what influence is, and why they are not the same thing even when held by the same person
2. Why influence often matters more: explain the specific situations in which having influence but not authority tends to produce better outcomes than having authority but not influence
3. How influence is built: the three or four concrete behaviours that build organisational influence over time, with an explanation of why each works
4. The common influence errors: the specific mistakes that erode influence quickly, including the ones that feel like influence-building in the moment
5. One thing the user can do this week, based on their described role and situation, to build influence with a specific person or group

[Describe your role and the situation where you feel the need to build more influence]
</task>

<output_format>
- Five sections matching the items above
- Influence behaviours: three to four, each explained in one clear sentence
- Common errors: named specifically, not as a warning
- One thing: specific to the user's described situation
- Tone: plain, practical, no leadership mystique
</output_format>