Leadership Power and Influence
Influential Leadership
Transformational Leadership
Charismatic Leadership
Coalitional Leadership
Power, Influence and Leadership
Power: ability of one person to influence others to bring about desired outcomes.
Influence: Effect a persons actions have on the attitudes, values, beliefs, or actions of others.
Hard Power
Stems from a persons position of authority
Orders expected to be obeyed.
Influence through rewards and punishments
Effective leaders dont rely solely on hard power.
Soft Power
Due to personal characteristics and relationships.
Considered a tool of an effective leader.
Five Types of Leader Power
Outcomes
Compliance: people follow the directions whether or not
they agree.
Generated due to hard power
Problems:
1. Followers dont contribute their full potential
2. Dont fully participate in achieving the vision.
3. Dont actively resist the leaders efforts.
Resistance
Followers try to avoid carrying out instructions or
attempt to disobey.
Generated by hard power
Effectiveness of leadership is limited.
Problem
Vision is hard to achieve.
Commitment
Generated by Soft, personal power.
Followers adopt leaders viewpoint
Enthusiastically carry out instructions.
Preferred to compliance or resistance
Important when vision is to promote change.
Sources of Leader Power
Dependency
Control Over Resources
Control Over Information
Dependency
To have power is to have control over what others need
Examples: Being dependent for information, resources, cooperation, a salary, a job, etc.
It isnt always the person with the highest title, but rather the person who is most in charge of anothers needs and wants
Control over Resources
Dependency stems from this
Resources: jobs, rewards, financial support, expertise, knowledge, materials, time, etc.
Key: employees must believe these resources are important
Resources must be important, scarce, and not be able to be substituted
Rare, essential resources give the holder power
Control over Information
To have this control, one must have access to the information and determine how and to whom it is distributed to
Releasing information selectively ensures employees dependence on the person who is in control
Increasing Power Through Political Activity
Its all about politics
Friends, Influence, Drive, Power
Aquiring and using power is a political process
Politically skillful leaders:
Understand others viewpoints, desires, goals and needs
Use this understanding to influence people to help them
Leader Frames of Reference
Know how to appropriately use power and politics
Frame: Perspective from which a leader views the world
Use all four frames to maximize effectiveness
Each is incomplete alone
Understand your own frame and integrate new ones to maximize potential
1. Structural Frame
Leaders:
View organization as machine
Strives for machine like efficiency
Rely on Legitimate Power (Hard)
Emphasis on plans, goal setting, efficiency and stability
2. Human Resources Frame
Leaders:
Believe people are the most valuable resource
Look for ways to adjust organization to meet human needs
Rely on Referent Power (Soft)
Use a Human Resources prespective
Organization defines problems and issues in interpersonal terms
Organization has sense of belonging/family
3. Political Frame
Leaders:
View organizations as areas of ongoing conflict
Spend time networking and building coalitions
Use Positional and Personal Power
Mindset is to be aware of the organization as a jungle
4. Symbolic Frame
Leaders:
Perceive the organization as a system of shared meanings and values
Rely on shared vision to influence
Not so much power/politics
Concerned with spirit and meaning
General focus on harnessing dreams and emotions for benefit of all
Leader Frames of Reference
No one frame is complete by itself
Each provide significant possibilities for enhancing leadership
First, understand our own limitations
Then, integrate new frames to expand potential
Political Tactics for Asserting Leader Influence
Power is useless if its not used
Requires skill and willingness
Not all attempts to use power succeed
Leader must determine best fit approach
Take everyone into consideration
Use common sense
Use varying tactics to achieve consistent results
Political Tactics for Asserting Leader Influence
Use Rational Persuasion
Facts, data, logic
Works with expert and referent power
Make People Like You
Easier to help someone you like than you dont
People return respect
Rely on the Rule of Reciprocity
People feel obligated to return a favor
Political Tactics for Asserting Leader Influence
Develop Allies
People who can help you accomplish your goals
Ask for What You Want
Be clear
Remember the Principle of Scarcity
People want more of what they cant have
Extend Formal Authority with Expertise and Credibility
Ethical Considerations
Power, once attained, can be used positively or negatively
Being a personalized leader versus a socialized leader
Personalized: selfish, impulsive, exercise power for self-centered needs
Socialized: exercise power for higher goals, looking out for the organization as a whole
Ethical Considerations
Sexual Harassment
Many challenges seen in todays businesses
People is power extort those dependent on them for sexual favors or threats
Unethical, illegal, and abuse of power
Game Time
Transformational Leadership
Develops followers into leaders
Avoids Strict Control
Followers have the freedom to control their behavior.
Inspires followers to go beyond
Paints a vision of goals
Uses enthusiasm and energy to motivate followers.
Examples: Abraham Lincoln
A vision
Courage and Confidence
Sense of Justice
Cared for the people.
Charismatic Leadership
Sharing of perspective makes leaders likeable
Transcends Position
Power originates from expertise, respect and admiration for the leader.
Creates atmosphere of change
Idealizes visions
Articulate the vision inspirationally
Examples: Bill Clinton, George Bush, Hitler
Coalitional Leadership
Communicates effectively throughout organization
Conduct various informal interviews
Ask open-ended questions
Take the input of customers
Shares views and input from all facets of the organization
Physically visualizes the views and input
Promotes cooperation and collaboration
Top Related