The 5 Types of Power in Leadership
Power means many different things
to different people. For some, power is seen as corrupt. For others, the more
power they have, the more successful they feel. For even others, power is of no
interest at all. The five bases of power were identified by John French
and Bertram Raven in the early 1960’s through a study they had conducted on
power in leadership roles. The study showed how different types of power
affected one’s leadership ability and success
in a leadership role.
The five bases of power are divided in two categories:
Formal Power
Coercive
Coercive power
is conveyed through fear of losing one’s job, being demoted, receiving a poor
performance review, having prime projects taken away, etc. This power is gotten
through threatening others. For example, the VP of Sales who threatens
sales folks to meet their goals or
get replaced.
Reward
Reward power
is conveyed through rewarding individuals for compliance with one’s wishes.
This may be done through giving bonuses, raises, a promotion, extra time off
from work, etc. For example, the supervisor who provides employees comp
time when they meet an objective she sets for a project.
Legitimate
Legitimate
power comes from having a position of power in an organization, such as being
the boss or a key member of a leadership team. This power comes when employees
in the organization recognize the authority of the individual. For example, the CEO who
determines the overall direction of the company and the resource needs of the
company.
Personal Power
Expert
Expert power comes from one’s experiences, skills or knowledge. As we
gain experience in particular areas, and become thought leaders in those areas,
we begin to gather expert power that can be utilized to get others to help us
meet our goals. For example, the Project Manager who is an expert at
solving particularly challenging problems to ensure a project stays on track.
Referent
Referent power comes from being trusted and respected. We can gain
referent power when others trust what we do and respect us for how we handle
situations. For example, the Human Resource Associate who is known for
ensuring employees is treated fairly and coming to the rescue of those who are
not.
As you can see, you don’t have to be in a leadership or senior level
role in an organization to have some form of power. In fact, the most respect
is garnered on those who have personal sources of power. There is more respect
for these individuals than for those who have power simply because they are the
boss in the business. It has been shown that when employees in an organization
associate the leadership’s power with expert or referent power, they are more
engaged, more devoted to the organization and their role within it. Employees
are also more willing to go
the extra mile to reach organizational goals
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