Power

The Five Bases of Power

Graphics courtesy of Harvard Business ReviewOpens in new window

Power means many different things to different people. For some, powerOpens in new window 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.

Five bases of power were identified in a 1960 study conducted on power in leadership roles, which laid the groundwork for most discussions of power and authority in the latter half of the 20th century.

The theory:

• classifies the leader’s main sources of power,
• analyzes the followers’ perceptions of a leader’s power, and qualities, and
• shows how these perceptions affect the leader’s power, and thereby their freedom to lead.

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 into two categories:

A.     Formal Power

1.     Coercive Power

Coercive power, which all leaders have, results from a leaders’ authority to punish their direct reports. Rooted in fearOpens in new window, coercive power is exercised through threatened or actual punishment. For example, the VP of sales who threatens sales employees to meet goals or they will be replaced.

Punishment can range from verbal or written reprimands to demotions to terminations. In some lines of work, fines and suspensions may be used. Coercive power has to be used judiciously, of course, since a leader who is seen as being constantly negative will produce a lot resentment among employees.

2.     Reward Power

One’s ability to grant rewards to those who comply with a command or request is the key to reward power. Leader’s reward power can be strengthened by linking pay raises, merit pay, and promotion to job performance.

Sought after expressions of friendship or trustOpens in new window also enhance reward power. For example, a leader who provides employees comp time when they meet an objective she sets for a project.

3.     Legitimate Power

Legitimate power is achieved when a person’s superior position alone prompts another person to act in a desired way.

All leaders have legitimate power over their employees. This type of power closely parallels formal authority as it comes from having a position of power in an organization, such as being a key member of a leadership team and employees recognize the authority of the individual.

For example, the CEO who determines the overall direction of the organization and the resource needs of the organization.

Legitimate power can be used positively or negatively:

B.     Personal Power

4.     Expert Power

This comes from one’s experiences, skills, or knowledge. Those who possess and can dispense valued information generally exercise expert power over those in need of such information.

Expert power can be mundane, such as knowing the work schedules and assignments of the people who report to you. Or it can be sophisticated, for example, information technology experts are in a position today to wield a great deal of expert power as is a project manager who is an expert at solving particularly challenging problems to ensure a project stays on track.

Administrative assistants may have expert power because, for example,, they have been in a job a long time and know all the necessary contacts. CEOs may have expert power because they have knowledge not shared with many others.

5.     Referent Power

Referent power is derived from one’s personal attraction. CharismaOpens in new window is commonly associated with referent power. This power comes from being trusted and respected by others.

An individual can gain referent power when others trust what they do and respect them for how they handle situations. For example, the human resource management professional who is known for ensuring employees are treated fairly and coming to the rescue of those who are not.

Leaders should note that all five sources either rely on, or are strengthened by, the belief of the direct reports or followers. The actual power that leaders possess in granting rewards, punishing, or issuing orders (positional power) is significant, but not as significant as the beliefs that direct reports have about them.

Even if they do not truly have the power to reward, punish, or control others, leaders can exert influence if their followers believe they do. The same is true of the two forms of personal power—expert power and referent power.

The leader may not have superior expertise, but if their followersOpens in new window believe they have, they will grant them power over them—at least for a while. Similarly, if the leader is not someone to be trusted, direct reports will let them lead if they have been fooled by a positive image—until they discover they cannot be trusted.

The point is:

It is reasonable to suggest that decades ago most organizational leaders relied on positional power. However, there is more questioning of authority by followers today and an impressive job title does not guarantee power. This is why the two variants of personal power—expert power and referent power—are now so important.

Reactions to Power

Asserting power is necessary and sometimes even a subconscious activity, yet, leaders must be aware of the potential outcomes. Direct reports tend to have three primary reactions to a leader’s attempts to lead and otherwise influence them—resistance, compliance, and commitment.

• Resistance. A leader knows what resistance is, but they must not forget that there are many forms and degrees of it. Direct reports can simply be indifferent, be passive-aggressive, or actively resist. They can also purposefully undermine or even sabotage a leader’s efforts. The degree and form of resistance thus matters.
• Compliance. Those who comply do only what is expected, nothing more. They exert no extra effort and provide no extra input.
• Commitment. Those who are committed believe in the cause and often go above and beyond to ensure its success.

These outcomes are obviously different, and the difference matters! One factor that certainly can affect a leader’s direct reports’ responses is how ethically or responsibly the leader utilizes any form of power.

Using Power Ethically and Effectively

Leaders who do not use their power responsibility risk losing it. This has been shown time and again with the ouster of government leaders, as well as in the persistent waves of scandals in business and the resulting downfall of executives. For leaders who want to avoid the potential pitfalls and wield power responsibly, a step in the right direction is understanding the difference between commitment and mere compliance. Responsible leaders strive to use power for the good of others, rather than simply for personal gain.

Commitment and Compliance: How They Relate to the Five Bases of Power

It has been suggested that

A reality is that commitment is superior to compliance because it is driven by internal or intrinsic motivation.

Committed employees tend to be self-starters who do not require close supervision. Intrinsically motivated self-starters are success factors in today’s flatter, team-oriented organizations. In contrast, employees who merely comply require frequent jolts of power from the leader to keep them going.