This type of power comes from the belief that a person can punish others for non compliance

French and Raven's Five Forms of Power

Understanding Where Power Comes From in the Workplace

Lead at full power!

Leadership and power are closely linked. People tend to follow those who are powerful. And because others follow, the person with power leads.

But leaders have power for different reasons. Some are powerful because they alone have the ability to give you a bonus or a raise. Others are powerful because they can fire you, or assign you tasks you don't like. Yet, while leaders of this type have formal, official power, their teams are unlikely to be enthusiastic about their approach to leadership, if this is all they rely on.

On the more positive side, leaders may have power because they're experts in their fields, or because their team members admire them. People with these types of power don't necessarily have formal leadership roles, but they influence others effectively because of their skills and personal qualities. And when a leadership position opens up, they'll probably be the first to be considered for promotion.

Do you recognize these types of power in those around you – or in yourself? And how does power influence the way you work and live your life?

Understanding Power

One of the most notable studies on power was conducted by social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven, in 1959. They identified five bases of power:

1. Legitimate – This comes from the belief that a person has the formal right to make demands, and to expect compliance and obedience from others.
2. Reward – This results from one person's ability to compensate another for compliance.
3. Expert – This is based on a person's superior skill and knowledge.
4. Referent – This is the result of a person's perceived attractiveness, worthiness, and right to respect from others.
5. Coercive – This comes from the belief that a person can punish others for noncompliance.

If you're aware of these sources of power, you can…

• Better understand why you're influenced by someone, and decide whether you want to accept the base of power being used.
• Recognize your own sources of power.
• Build your leadership skills by using and developing your own sources of power, appropriately, and for best effect.

The most effective leaders use mainly referent and expert power. To develop your leadership abilities, learn how to build these types of power, so that you can have a positive influence on your colleagues, your team, and your organization.

The Five Bases of Power

Let's explore French and Raven's bases of power according to these sources.

Positional Power Sources

Legitimate Power

A president, prime minister, or monarch has legitimate power. So does a CEO, a minister, or a fire chief. Electoral mandates, social hierarchies, cultural norms, and organizational structure all provide the basis for legitimate power.

This type of power, however, can be unpredictable and unstable. If you lose the title or position, legitimate power can instantly disappear – since others were influenced by the position, not by you. Also, your scope of power is limited to situations that others believe you have a right to control. If the fire chief tells people to stay away from a burning building, they'll probably listen. But if he tries to make people stay away from a street fight, people may well ignore him.

Therefore, relying on legitimate power as your only way to influence others isn't enough. To be a leader, you need more than this – in fact, you may not need legitimate power at all.

Reward Power

People in power are often able to give out rewards. Raises, promotions, desirable assignments, training opportunities, and even simple compliments – these are all examples of rewards controlled by people "in power." If others expect that you'll reward them for doing what you want, there's a high probability that they'll do it.

The problem with this power base is that you may not have as much control over rewards as you need. Supervisors probably don't have complete control over salary increases, and managers often can't control promotions, all by themselves. And even a CEO needs permission from the board of directors for some actions.

So, when you use up available rewards, or when the rewards don't have enough perceived value to others, your power weakens. (One of the frustrations of using rewards is that they often need to be bigger each time if they're to have the same motivational impact. Even then, if rewards are given frequently, people can become satiated by the reward, so that it loses its effectiveness.)

Coercive Power

This source of power is also problematic, and can be subject to abuse. What's more, it can cause unhealthy behavior and dissatisfaction in the workplace.

Threats and punishment are common tools of coercion. Implying or threatening that someone will be fired, demoted, denied privileges, or given undesirable assignments – these are examples of using coercive power. While your position may give you the capability to coerce others, it doesn't automatically mean that you have the will or the justification to do so. As a last resort, you may sometimes need to punish people. However, extensive use of coercive power is rarely appropriate in an organizational setting.

Clearly, relying on these forms of power alone will result in a very cold, technocratic, impoverished style of leadership. To be a true leader, you need a more robust source of power than can be supplied by a title, an ability to reward, or an ability to punish.

Personal Power Sources

Expert Power

When you have knowledge and skills that enable you to understand a situation, suggest solutions, use solid judgment, and generally outperform others, people will probably listen to you. When you demonstrate expertise, people tend to trust you and respect what you say. As a subject matter expert, your ideas will have more value, and others will look to you for leadership in that area.

What's more, you can take your confidence, decisiveness, and reputation for rational thinking – and expand them to other subjects and issues. This is a good way to build and maintain expert power. It doesn't require positional power, so you can use it to go beyond that. This is one of the best ways to improve your leadership skills.

Referent Power

This is sometimes thought of as charisma, charm, admiration, or appeal. Referent power comes from one person liking and respecting another, and strongly identifying with that person in some way. Celebrities have referent power, which is why they can influence everything from what people buy to whom they elect to office. In a workplace, a person with charm often makes everyone feel good, so he or she tends to have a lot of influence.

Referent power can be a big responsibility, because you don't necessarily have to do anything to earn it. Therefore, it can be abused quite easily. Someone who is likable, but lacks integrity and honesty, may rise to power – and use that power to hurt and alienate people as well as gain personal advantage.

Relying on referent power alone is not a good strategy for a leader who wants longevity and respect. When combined with expert power, however, it can help you to be very successful.

Key Points

Anyone is capable of holding power and influencing others: you don't need to have an important job title or a big office. But if you recognize the different forms of power, you can avoid being influenced by those who use the less effective types of power – and you can focus on developing expert and referent power for yourself. This will help you become an influential and positive leader.

Apply This to Your Life

1. Go through each of the power bases, and write down when and how you've used that source of power in the past.
2. Ask yourself if you used the power appropriately, consider the expected and unexpected consequences of it, and decide what you'll do differently next time.
3. Think about the people who have power and influence over you. What sources of power do they use? Do they use their power appropriately? Where necessary, develop a strategy to reduce someone else's use of illegitimate power over you.
4. When you feel powerless or overly influenced, stop and think about what you can do to regain your own power and control. After all: you're never without power. Make an effort to be more aware of the power you have, and use it to get what you need, confidently and effectively.

Everyone leads differently. But all leadership involves power. Leaders use their power to engage others and inspire them to action. It’s important, therefore, for leaders to understand the many types of power available to them. Power doesn’t necessarily stem from a title or role. The best leaders, whether they have legitimate power or not, understand how to use power to influence others and bring about the results they desire.

Just as every employee brings their own skills and talents to a company, every executive brings their own leadership style to the table. No matter how they run a team, each leader exhibits at least one of these types of leadership power.

1. Legitimate Power

Legitimate power is the type of power a manager, executive or another leading official in a company has due to the status of their position. Written into the job description, legitimate power comes along with the role. You can’t take it with you when you change jobs or retire. 

But here’s the interesting thing: Although a follower may have the obligation to comply with legitimate power, this power is also dependent on the follower’s acceptance. Of course, if employees are noncompliant, there are mechanisms available to the leader to, for example, punish behaviors. 

Legitimate power also includes informal rules of conduct. For example, it may not be written into the job description that your boss’s boss can summon you to a meeting. But if that happens, the informal rules of conduct would suggest that it’s in your best interest to comply with this display of legitimate power. 

2. Referent Power

Leaders who influence others through referent power have gained the respect and admiration of the people around them. Some place Steve Jobs in this category. Admittedly, others paint him as a “purple-faced tyrant.” However, the 95% approval rating he earned during his lifetime says otherwise. Foot-stomping tantrums aside, leaders with referent power generally have strong interpersonal relationships. They leverage these relationships to create an environment of collaboration and cooperation. Referent power is not formal; it must be earned. However, of course, many referent leaders are in positions of tremendous authority. Typically, the people who work for and with reverent leaders trust them, aspire to be like them, and feel empowered by their example.

Referent leaders perform well and deliver results even in the most difficult environments. It’s the type of leadership style that serves every situation. But, since it’s based on credibility and a track record of performance, it’s also the type of power that can take years to establish.

3. Information Power

One gains information power when they know something other people don’t. Information power, however, is short-term and does little to build credibility. Once you release the information, you are no longer needed. So what’s the point? Information power is best used to build influence among followers. Even when you have no legitimate power, you can use information power. 

But in order to benefit from information power, you must share what you know with the intention of furthering your group’s objectives. Further, you can maintain information power through the cultivation of credible sources to gain additional information. Your sources can come from reading, attending classes and conferences, reading blogs and online sources, or conversation with others. 

4. Expert Power

People who have more knowledge or experience than other members of their team exhibit expert power. For example, when it comes to social media, a recent college grad who spends all of their spare time posting online has expert power over a tenured 20-year employee who has never used Twitter. Expert power is particularly important when the knowledge that you have is perceived as valuable. Like information power, expert power gives you influence. 

Expert power can be transient. When others need what you have, you’re the expert. The best way to protect expert power is to continue to build it. You can accomplish this in much the same way as you build information power: by continuing to pursue knowledge. 

With expert power, it’s important to let others know that you have it. Be sure to use your expertise appropriately, however. Avoid projecting arrogance or a know-it-all attitude. Continue to value the opinions of others. Promote your expertise in discrete ways. Write articles and blog posts, display your degree or certification in your office, or speak at industry events. In this way, others will begin to recognize your expertise. 

5. Reward Power

A leader who has the ability to reward an employee or team member for compliance has reward power. Rewards work best when they are appealing to all participants, for example, a raise or bonus, a promotion, time off or other perks. Typically this positive reinforcement is given for meeting a pre-defined objective. 

Be careful, however, of the “everybody gets a trophy” mentality. It can be counterproductive to reward people simply for doing their job. For example, coming to work is generally a job requirement. When you reward expected behavior, you’re setting the bar too low. 

Some rewards work better than others. Look for reward ideas that deepen the connection employees feel with the company, its leaders and the work they perform. Money may not be the answer. Consider rewards such as work-from-home days, a plum assignment or even cross-training. Remember that what motivates one employee may fall flat for another.

6. Coercive Power

Coercion uses the power of fear — fear of losing one’s job or missing out on a raise or bonus.  The very idea of coercion is anathema to many leaders. But coercive power can be both direct and indirect. Direct coercive power is explicit and deliberate. Indirect coercive power, however, is assumed. Employees may believe they will be punished, for example by having a bonus withheld, if they report unsafe conditions in the workplace.

At the end of the day, leaders can force compliance. It should be the last resort, however. Coercive power may underlie a toxic and unproductive work environment when overused. Employees are happier and more productive when they exercise free will and comply because they want to, not because they have to. 

There are of course certain zero-tolerance situations, for example sexual harassment or discrimination, where decisive action is required. In these cases, a leader may use coercive power to protect the company as well as other employees from ongoing harm.

7. Charismatic Power

Similarly, charismatic leaders have the ability to influence others. While they may or may not have any actual authority, charismatic leaders usually have a natural ability to persuade or inspire. Charisma relies on charm and personal qualities that others find attractive. Charismatic leaders exude personal warmth and a zest for life that is contagious. 

It may seem that charisma is one of those traits that is inherent. But behavioral scientists have long reported that charisma is a set of skills that can be learned. That’s good news for those who want to lead yet lack the position, the connections and the expertise to do so. 

Charisma is an invaluable asset. Of course, you still need to acquire technical expertise and, perhaps, actual authority. But charismatic power can work in any context. Leaders can begin to enhance their charismatic power by learning to tell stories, engaging others and by demonstrating integrity.  

8. Moral Power

A leader who has moral power is one that inspires action based on a strongly held set of values and beliefs. Moral leaders not only talk the talk, they also walk the walk. When you are a moral leader, you strive to do what you say you will do. They are strongly principled and hold themselves to a high standard. They want others to follow their example and so they are willing to show them the way. However, leadership is not about them. It’s about being in service to others. 

Employees may be exceedingly loyal to the moral leader because they want to emulate their beliefs and actions. They respect moral power because it is consistent and trustworthy. Moral power is not born of coercion; rather it stems from a deep and abiding sense of respect. 

Moral power is based on values. These values may include, for instance, integrity, community, fairness, service and respect, among others. The biggest challenge for moral leadership is that moral standards may differ between individuals, religions, culture and, certainly, organizations.

Get the Power

There are, of course, other types of power not listed here. The point is that anyone can hold power and use it to influence others. One size does not fit all. By recognizing the different types of power and further honing your own capabilities, you will become a stronger leader with the ability to develop these skills in others as well.  

Is your company looking for its next leader or executive? Contact us for expert help in your search.

This post was updated for clarity in August 2021