Increasing your leadership power
Twenty years ago, I shared a house with a whip-smart Chinese law student who did not suffer fools or Arts students. I was at least one of those. Lei used to laugh at me for studying abstract concepts such as the social construction of power. One day he turned to me and said, DG, you are so full of crap, you need to understand that power comes from the barrel of a gun.
Lei was right about two things. One, I was a bit naïve, no gold star there. And two, power does inhere in forces that threaten your life, or its 21st equivalent, your mortgage. Mortgages, managers, authority figures and even diseases can exert power over you. How do you know that? Because even when they are not around you behave like they are watching.
Power can sometimes feel like a 'dirty' word. It is often associated with ‘threat’ and ‘force’. Yet, loathed or loved, power is something most people are fighting for, or about, because it is the rocket fuel of self-determination and effective leadership. Without power, you are listing ship without a sail. With it, your can plot your course, bring some friends, and enjoy the ride.
Put simply, power is the capacity to move things – to exert force, influence and control over your context. A champion weightlifter is considered powerful by the amount of weight they lift. The greater the weight, the greater the power. A leader is considered powerful when they move larger numbers of people towards a shared vision. The powerful move things; the powerless are moved. As a leader you want to be moving things.
Power comes in many forms. Famously, French and Raven (1959/1993) described six bases: legitimate, reward, expert, referent, coercive and informational. And if you are interested in increasing your power, and therefore, your impact, it's useful to understand what French and Raven were on about.
Legitimate power refers to the power formal figures of authority can exert over their followers. A recent example? The premier closes the state’s borders and restricts your movements. That's power. Used well, legitimate power saves lives and money and get things done. Used excessively, it turns to tyranny. Legitimate power is sometimes embedded in a badge or a role. It is the permission to 'officially' delegate tasks and make key decisions. Lose your badge and you lose your power. What's the leadership lesson? If you want people to follow you, do not rely solely on a role or badge. Consider inspiring, incentivizing or rewarding followers.
Reward power refers to a person's ability to incentivize and compensate a person for followership and compliance. You can offer financial bonuses to encourage people to take on more responsibility but praise and acknowledgement are also underused rewards. They cost nothing and are great currency with most humans who have a fundamental need for belonging, impact and visibility. A note of caution. If you rely on reward power to create action, and followership, influence will be something you have to top up with money or flattery. Wouldn’t it be much better if your followers simply executed their key tasks because they respected your character, leadership and expertise?
Expert power is used when a person secures your followership because they demonstrate a high level of skill and knowledge. A doctor reading your blood test and demanding you fast for 24 hours is relying on expert power to control you for a good moral purpose, your health. Developing expertise is a useful way to increase your influence over others. However, even among experts, some are more powerful than others, especially those that are highly relational or charismatic.
Referent power refers to the way a person's personality and charisma exerts influence over others. Some people have extraordinary power over a group because they are likeable, experienced, credible, and trustworthy. Advertisers know this and use celebrities to endorse their products. Referent power is arguably the most influential form of power because it can exist beyond the reach of legitimate authority. As an example, the words and actions of a loved religious figure can inspire a group for millennia regardless of the position of an external authority. The good news is that referent power is something you can work on, you don’t need a badge, a wad of cash or false praise
Coercive power is the ability to gain control over others through threats and punishments. This is an old favourite of parents and algorithms. Leaders use coercive power when they threaten you with ultimatums. If you do this, you get that horrible consequence. The coercive use of power can be an exceptionally efficient way to achieve a result. And it can be warranted. That's why parents like it so much. But, overused, it engenders distrust, low morale and damaged relationships. Constructive leaders pursuing deep change, and bringing out the best in others, are encouraged to save coercive power for serious situations and deserving villains.
Informational power occurs when a leader knows more about a process than the person they are influencing. Back in the old days, teachers used to have a lot more informational power than they do today. They knew things students did not know and so the student was dependent on the teacher. But along came the internet and their power was diminished. Your informational power is dependent on the quality and relevance of your information. When you do not have information, you lose your power.
What can we make of this discussion of power? If you want to increase your power, and have limited formal authority, there are four things you could try. One, start becoming more of an expert in your specialty so that you are a rare and valuable source of expertise to teammates and their projects (expert). Two, work authentically on improving your relationships with a much greater number of coworkers, especially those you ignore, so that people trust and connect with you more often (referent). Three, provide a greater range of coworkers with genuine praise and opportunity when you get the chance so their efforts are acknowledged and rewarded (reward). Four, do not shortcut your way to task completion through veiled threats (coercion). You will ruin the dinner times of good people and the ears of their spouses. Last, as you increase your power, use it for good. The Australian Army has an instructive motto that can help all leaders define their priorities: mission, team, me (Jans, 2018). Use your power to realise your mission. Use it to help your team. And lastly, use it to bring the best version of yourself to work.
References
French, J. R., Raven, B., & Cartwright, D. (1959). The bases of social power. Classics of organization theory, 7, 311-320.
Jans, N. (2018). Leadership secrets of the Australian Army: Learn from the best and inspire your team for great results. Allen and Unwin.
Raven, B.H. (1993), The Bases of Power: Origins and Recent Developments. Journal of Social Issues, 49: 227-251. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1993.tb01191.x
Raven, B. H. (2008). The Bases of Power and the Power/Interaction Model of Interpersonal Influence. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 8(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-2415.2008.00159.x
