Power refers to the capacity to influence others. So where does it come from? Have you ever wondered why some managers seem like natural leaders? Or perhaps you are interested in what power you hold over others? View this quick course on the five sources identified by John French and Bertram H. Raven.

1. Holly Justice
Leadership
Sources of Power
An explanation of the theory by
John French and Bertram H. Raven

2. Sources of Power
Power refers to the capacity to influence
others. So where does it come from?
Have you ever wondered why some
managers seem like natural leaders?
Or perhaps you are interested in what
power you hold over others?

3. Legitimate

4. Legitimate power is the formal
authority granted through the
organization and job description.
A project manager is placed in
charge of a project team so they
may delegate tasks.
A supervisor is given legitimate
power over their subordinates so
they can ask for a range of
behaviors from the new employee.
One will find this power source
useful as you begin leading any
team, however it cannot be relied
upon alone to make you an effective
leader.
Legitimate

5. Reward

6. As leaders we may be granted both
control over what others value and
the ability to change negative
aspects of the job giving us reward
power.
We see reward power used when a
manager gives salary increases
based on performance or when a
supervisor replaces faulty
equipment.
Reward

7. Rewards can be as simple as
allowing a person to work on a
special project or attend training,
granting favorable shifts or bringing
in pizza.
If employees are given feedback
systems to evaluate their managers
or co-workers, they also hold
reward power.
The risk in using only reward power
is that you may have a limited
supply or the rewards may become
too commonplace, losing their
power.
Reward

8. Coercive

9. Both team leaders and members
may apply coercive power, the
ability to punish with the goal of
compliance.
Punishment is an old fashioned
“carry a big stick” management
style.
Managers who use this power
threaten to fire or layoff employees
who fail to meet their standards.
Coercive

10. Team members apply coercive
power through gossip or open
demands of co-workers when they
break the team norms.
Coercive power often results in
negative relationships since adults
naturally resent being punished.
With today’s intelligent workforce,
using coercive power alone will
result in a team who comply with
orders only when the manager is
watching.
Coercive

11. Organizational Sources of Power
Reward

12. Organizational Sources of Power
Legitimate, reward and coercive power are all associated
with the organization. The company, your team and where
your job sits in the corporate ladder will influence how these
sources of power may be available to you.
Reward

13. Expert

14. Many leaders become successful
due to their own personal power
sources.
Have you ever noticed the respect
we give to experts who help us
solve problems? Expert power
comes from specialized knowledge.
A software engineer who arrives
with a specialized skill set may have
considerable influence on the
team’s decisions and direction even
if that person lacks any
organizational power.
Expert

15. Referent

16. The charismatic individual has
referent power. We follow them
because we admire their personality
and wish to be like them.
Who is your office celebrity, the
person everyone wants to follow?
Referent

17. Personal Sources of Power
Those who hold expert and referent power may move their
power from one group to another because they hold it
personally.
A charismatic politician may be elected to several different
positions. An expert computer security guru may job hop from
organization to organization.
Expert
Referent

18. Expert
Referent
Organizational & Personal Sources of Power
Reward

19. Power Combinations
When we look
at all five
sources of
power it is the
combinations
that are most
interesting.
Expert
Referent
Reward

20. New Supervisor Example
A new supervisor may rely heavily on the use of legitimate
and coercive power.
Without reward, referent or expert power, the team will often
comply outwardly with the supervisor, but will secretly work
against the supervisor’s formal and oppressive style.
Legitimate
Coercive

21. Abandoned Team Example
A manager who abandons their team, giving neither feedback
or rewards for good performance is withholding their
legitimate or reward power.
Within abandoned teams employees may take on a
leadership role by exercising their expert or referent power.
Some employees may use a form of punishment, such as
leaving others undesirable tasks, in order to force their coworkers to comply to their own standards.
Expert
Referent
Coercive

22. Project Manager Example
A charming project manager may use legitimate and referent
power to influence their team.
Project managers often have a limited ability to reward or
punish team members for failing to perform.
The charismatic manager may recruit a technical person to
co-lead the team, adding an expert power source.
Expert
Legitimate
Referent

23. John French and Bertram H. Raven
In 1959, John
French and
Bertram H.
Raven
examined the
five different
sources that
come from the
organization
and the
individual.
Expert
Referent
Reward

24. Discussion
Based on the
five source
model, what
power
combinations
do you use to
influence
others in your
daily
activities?
Expert
Referent
Reward

25. Discussion
What
combinations
do you see
others in your
organization
use?
Expert
Referent
Reward

26. What’s your vote?
http://hjustice.wordpress.com/leadershipsources-of-power-poll
Which power sources do you see your boss
use to influence others?
Which power sources do you use in your
daily activities to influence others?

27. More Information Online
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/new
LDR_56.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_(social_a
nd_political)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_and_Ra
ven's_five_bases_of_power
http://changingminds.org/explanations/pow
er/french_and_raven.htm

28. Holly Justice
Leadership
Sources of Power
An explanation of the theory by
John French and Bertram H. Raven