You can use your control of these things to focus your team’s efforts on achieving organizational goals. free newsletter, or Subscribe to our Positional Power Sources Legitimate Power. There are several aspects to Legitimate Power that are useful to recognize and understand. As a subject matter expert If it turns out that you don’t know what you are doing or fail to earn the trust of your team and higher leaders, than your power will begin to erode. Learn more. Now that you have the appropriate badge of office, can you proceed to lead by walking around, giving orders and saying, “I’m the boss. You probably have some formal authorities to reward and punish – maybe you are in charge of some incentive programs, or have to fill out annual performance evaluations on your people. © Emerald Works Limited 2021. As the American forefathers observed so long ago in the Declaration of Independence, legitimacy of leadership ultimately resides in the consent of the governed. So, it can be abused quite easily. You'll also get support and advice in our forum and Coaching Clinic. All rights reserved. With this type of power, you can use information to help others, or as a weapon or a bargaining tool against them. Legitimate power is power that comes from one’s organizational role or position. Question: Being put into a position of Legitimate Power is a sign that others trust you; staying there means you have continued to earn that trust. Someone in a formal organizational position holds Legitimate power. All #leadership is subject to a vote. Ask yourself if you used the power appropriately. When you showed up for class on the first day of school, and your teacher walked in the door, she brought with her a certain amount of legitimate power. In 1959, French and Raven described five bases of power: Six years later, Raven added an extra power base: By understanding these different forms of power, you can learn to use the positive ones to full effect, while avoiding the negative power bases that managers can instinctively rely on. Not if you want to stay in that position for very long. In fact, the higher up you go, the less you will know about everything. Agree or disagree? 1. So rather than take an authoritarian approach as “The Boss,” you are better off being inquisitive, soliciting input from your experts, and then thinking critically about what you learn. Let's explore French and Raven's bases of power in two groups – positional and personal. Go through each power base and write down when and how you've used it. Plug in to your other resources. (1959). Legitimate Power. While referent and expert power are tied to the individual, legitimate power is … Electoral mandates, social hierarchies, cultural norms, and organizational structure all provide the basis for legitimate power. Understand what it is: an initial mandate. In this type of authority, power is vested in a particular rationale, system, or ideology and not necessarily in the person who implements the specifics of that doctrine. When you have knowledge and skills that enable you to understand a situation, suggest solutions, use solid judgment, and generally outperform others, people will listen to you, trust you, and respect what you say. Make a list of the resources under your influence and think about how you can use them to make your team successful. In social science and politics, power is the capacity of an individual to influence the actions, beliefs, or conduct (behaviour) of others. Someone who is likeable, but who lacks integrity Up, Mind Tools and Raven, B. and thanks Informational – This results from a person's ability to control the information that others need to accomplish something. Whatever level you are in the hierarchy, you now have formal access to other leaders at your level and to leaders at least one level up, possibly more. It is based on the principles of natural justice and fairness, and seeks to prevent authorities from abusing power. In 'Studies in Social Power, Cartwright, D.,' pp.150-167. 5. (You might also risk being accused of bullying them.). This will help you to become an influential and effective leader. According to Weber, power made legitimate by laws, written rules, and regulations is termed rational-legal authority. Social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven studied this phenomenon more than half a century ago. Think about how you want to use them to get your work done. After all, you're never without power. Celebrities have referent power, which is why they can influence everything from what people buy to which politician they elect. Legitimate power is also known as positional power. 6. Depending on your organization, you may have control of things like time, labor, funding, assets or other resources. Think about the people who have power and influence over you. 3. RAPIDSTART LEADERSHIP © 2020 Ι ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Coercive – This comes from the belief that a person can punish others for noncompliance. join the Mind Tools Club and really supercharge your career! In a workplace, a person with referent power often makes everyone feel good, so he tends to have a lot of influence. Where necessary, develop a strategy to reduce someone else's illegitimate use of power over you. This type of power, however, can be unpredictable and unstable. In the formal groups and organizations, probably the most frequent access to one or more of the power bases is one’s structural position. As you encounter challenges and problems, connect with your peers and find out what they did to resolve them. Not really. Not all forms of power have a positive influence. Expert – This is based on a person's high levels of skill and knowledge. You can use this access to build your information power, develop insight, and learn from the experience of others. The exceptions to this are praise Recognize the purpose of the perks. Newsletter Sign Available online here.
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