Power and Leadership
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Key Objectives
 Define power and its key role in leadership
 Discuss typical reactions to power
 Identify the individual and organizational sources
of power available to leaders and describe their
consequences for followers and organizations
 Explain the sources of power corruption and
present ways to prevent its occurrence
 Discuss empowerment and the individual and
organizational factors needed to achieve it.
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Definitions
 Power: the ability of one person to influence
others and exercise control over them
 Influence: the power to affect the course of an
action
 Authority: power vested in position
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Reactions to Power
 Commitment: occurs when
followers welcome the influence
process and accept it as
reasonable and legitimate
 Compliance: followers accept the
influence process and go along
with the request, but are not
committed to carrying it out.
 Resistance: followers do not agree
with the attempt at influence and
either actively or passively resist
it.
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Individual Sources of Power
 Legitimate power: based on a person holding a
formal position; others comply because they accept
the legitimacy of the position of the power holder.
 Reward power: based on a person’s access to rewards.
Compliance based on desire for rewards.
 Coercive power: based on ability to punish.
Compliance based on fear of punishment.
 Expert power: based on a person’s expertise,
competency and information in a certain area.
Others comply because they believe in the
power holder’s knowledge and competence.
 Referent power: based on person’s attractiveness to and
friendship with others. Other’s comply because they respect
and like the power holder.
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Individual Sources of Power
 Position powers Legitimate, Reward and Coercive power are Position powersaccess to power depends upon person’s position
 Depend upon the organization; Once a person’s title, or access
to rewards or punishment is removed, the leaders relying on
these sources loses power.
 Person-based powers Expert and Referent power are based on the
person, not the organization
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Reactions to Power
Coercive Power
Resistance
Reward Power
Legitimate Power
Compliance
Expert Power
Referent Power
Commitment
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Using Power: Influence Tactics and
Consequences
Rational Persuasion:
 Use logical arguments and factual evidence
Commitment likely when target is somewhat in agreement
Compliance likely
 Resistance possible when other doesn’t share objectives
 Inspirational Appeals:
•Make an emotional or value-based appeal.
•Arouse strong emotions and link request to person’s need or
values in hopes that enthusiasm and commitment results.
•Can appeal to person’s ideals; e.g., loyalty, patriotism, justice
•Can be brief explanation (“Do it for your country”) to an inspirational
speech (“I have a dream”).
•Dr Martin Luther King Jr I Have Dream Speech
•Effectiveness can be enhanced by using vivid imagery and
metaphors, manipulating symbols, using gestures.
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Consultation
• Commitment is increased by asking others for their input into
decisions.
•Paradox
 Ingratiation
• Do something that makes someone feel better about you.
• Includes giving compliments, do unsolicited favors, act respectful,
act friendly prior to making request without appearing manipulative.
• Commitment can result if used correctly.
• Compliance likely.
• Resistance unlikely.
• Catch:
 Personal Appeal
• Ask someone to do a favor based on friendship or loyalty.
• Person must like you or feel loyal to you.
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 Exchange
• Use explicit or implicit offer to reward person for doing
request.
• Commitment unlikely.
• Compliance likely (need to offer something desirable and be
able to provide that)
• Incentives include tangible rewards (raise, bonus, trip),
scarce resources, information, help with another task, career
or political support.
 Coalition Building
• Get others to work with you to influence the target.
• Can be direct or indirect.
• Commitment unlikely. Compliance likely. Resistance
possible.
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 Legitimate Tactics
• Attempt is made to establish the authority
•Student Handbook
• Commitment is unlikely.
• Compliance likely if request is viewed as legitimate and proper,
or routine request.
• Resistance likely if request is unusual, exceeds authority, or
when target does not know your authority.
• Types
 Pressure
• Use threats, warning, and assertive behavior to get compliance
with request.
• May work for lazy or apathetic people.
• Includes such behaviors as constant checking, “do this or else”
or “if you don’t do this…”
• Commitment is unlikely.
• Resistance may occur if tactic is used too often, especially with
the hard tactics of threats and warning. They may result in bad
side effects: resentment, undermining behavior.
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
Organizational Sources of Power
These sources of power can be used by individuals, but are
especially important for teams
 Coping with uncertainty- power based on the ability to reduce
uncertainty for others; (e.g., obtaining needed info,
forecasting, having alternatives for dealing with change)
 Centrality- power based on being central to how the
organization achieves its mission and goals (e.g., being close
to the client, or close to the CEO)
 Dependency- power based on others depending on power
holder to get their work done (e.g., team provides info and
resources)
 Substitutability- power based on providing a unique and
irreplaceable service or product to others
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Corruption:
The Dark Side of Power
One of the consequences of power is the increased
distance b/w leaders and followers, which can lead
leaders to become uninformed, unrealistic, and engage
in unethical decision making
Power abusers more concerned with maintaining
power than with developing followers and achieving
organizational goals
We will consider causes, consequences
and solutions to abuse of power
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Causes of Power Corruption:
Leaders Characteristics
 Often intelligent, but inflated view of self; arrogant
and controlling, power hungry, rigid and inflexible
 Work well with supervisors and impress them, but
uncaring and vicious with subordinates
 Sense of entitlement (believes they deserve special
treatment
 Willingness to exploit others
 Lack of empathy
 Overly concerned with power
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Causes of Power Corruption:
Organizational Characteristics
 Organizational culture
 Hiring practices based on personal
relationships
 Short-term orientation
 Centralized structure
 High uncertainly and chaos
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Corruption: Corruption Cycle
(Processes)
 Leader characteristics and org’l factors lead to
follower compliance
 Comply b/c of personal commitment, truly respect
leader’s expertise, or fear of retribution or desire to
obtain rewards and resources
 Compliance signals leader that action are OK,
which reinforces inflated view of themselves
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Corruption Cycle
Causes
Leader
Characteristics
Organizational
Factors
Processes
• Compliance
• Distance from others
• Inflated view of self
• Follower submission
• Follower dependence
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Consequences
• Poor decisions
• Coercion
• Devaluation of
others
• Ethical and legal
violations
Corruption: Consequences
 Poor decisions
Increased distance results in poor decision
making because they lack relevant information
Employees filter info, avoid giving bad news, hide
mistakes, providing overly rosy picture
 Devaluation of Others
B/c of compliance, leaders may see followers as
dependent and incapable of autonomous
behavior and decisions; rely less on persuasion,
more on coercion
Becomes self-fulfilling prophesy
 Ethical and Legal Violations
Come to believe regular rules just don’t apply to
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them
Solutions to Corruption
 Make leaders accountable
 Maintain checks and balances
 Encourage open and broad
communication and feedback
 Involve leaders in day-to-day
activities
 Reduce followers’ dependency on leader
 Use objective measures of performance
 Involve outsiders in decision making
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 Change the organizational culture
Empowerment
 Sharing power with subordinates
 Pushing decision making and
implementation power to the lowest
possible level
 Increase the power and autonomy of all
people in the organization
 Power sharing
 Gives employees control and a sense of
accomplishment
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Empowerment: Leadership Factors
 Create a positive emotional atmosphere
that encourages followers to share ideas,
participate in decision making and take
risks
 Set high performance standards
 Encourage initiative and responsibility
 Reward openly and personally
 Practice equity and collaboration
 Express appropriate confidence in
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subordinates
Empowerment: Organizational
Factors
 Decentralize structure and decision
making
 Select and train leaders appropriately
 Select and train employees
appropriately
 Remove bureaucratic constraints
 Reward empowering behaviors
 Create fair and open organization
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policies