The first mistake consists in believing that position on its own confers authority. The second consists in thinking that the proper modalities for exercising authority are force and fear. Position can indeed confer power. Position can carry with it the organizational power to get things done, along with the power to reward and punish others for what they do or fail to do. But authority is a moral notion.
Legitimate authority has to be accepted as such.
That is its essential nature. The Bible is authoritative for Christians because, in part, they accept it as such. If a person is in a position of power but is not morally acceptable to others as a legitimate authority, then that person s position will not carry with it the reality of authority, regardless of its title. One of the ties between position and authority is respect. A person can be in a position of power and yet not have the respect of the people who live under the sway and threat of that power.