Influence based on possession by an individual of desirable resources or personal traits.

Leading and Leadership

The Five Points of Power 

A person has the potential for influencing five points of power over another (French & Raven, 1959).

·        Coercive Power – Power that is based on fear. A person with coercive power can make things difficult for people. These are the persons that you want to avoid getting angry. Employees working under coercive managers are unlikely to be committed, and more likely to resist the manager.

·        Reward Power – Compliance achieved based on the ability to distribute rewards that others view as valuable. Able to give special benefits or rewards to people. You might find it advantageous to trade favors with him or her.

·        Legitimate Power – The power a person receives because of his or her position in the formal hierarchy of an organization. The person has the right, considering his or her position and your job responsibilities, to expect you to comply with legitimate requests.

·        Expert Power – Influence based on special skills or knowledge. This person earns respect by experience and knowledge. Expert power is the most strongly and consistently related to effective employee performance.

·        Referent Power – Influence based on possession by an individual or desirable resources of personal traits. You like the person and enjoy doing things for him or her.

Politics and Power

The more political that employees perceive their organization, the lower their satisfaction becomes. This is because they tend to feel powerless on a continuous basis. On the other hand, the politically astute, tend to view things differently:

Political Astute Label                                                                      Powerless Label

Fixing responsibility                                                                           Blaming others

Developing relationships                                                                  Kissing up

Political minded                                                                                 Cunning

Delegating authority                                                                          Passing the buck

Documenting decisions                                                                     Covering your rear

Encouraging innovation                                                                   Creating conflict

Teamwork                                                                                           Building cliques

Planning                                                                                             Scheming

To prevent these ‘Powerless labels ‘from developing, you need to use good leadership skills:

·        Power does not require goal compatibility, instead it focuses on intimidation, while leadership requires goal congruence.

·        Power maximizes the importance of lateral and upward influence, while leadership focuses upon downward influence.

·        Power focuses on tactics for gaining compliance, while leadership focuses on getting answers and solutions.