I've always wanted my team to like me, so I soften every hard message and let things slide to keep the mood good. Now I'm realizing they like me fine and don't quite respect me, and my requests don't carry much weight. I traded away my authority for a bunch of easy smiles.
More people experience this than they realize.
You chose being liked over being respected and it's weakening your authority.
If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.