Leading With Influence The 6 Power Bases
Summary
TLDRThe video script discusses the six power bases identified by French and Raven: reward, coercion, legitimate, expert, referent, and informational power. It emphasizes that while legitimate and coercive power can lead to compliance, they often fail to inspire commitment. Expert and referent power, on the other hand, are more effective in achieving commitment as they are based on knowledge and trust. The script illustrates this with a military example, showing how overreliance on legitimate and coercive power can lead to ineffective outcomes.
Takeaways
- π The script discusses a research study by French and Raven, which identifies six power bases: reward, coercion, legitimate, expert, referent, and informational power.
- π Reward power is the ability to give, while coercion power is the ability to take away, both of which can be used to influence others.
- π¨βπ« Expert power stems from knowledge and expertise, which can lead to compliance or resistance depending on its application.
- π’ Legitimate power is the authority granted to an individual or entity, which can result in compliance but not necessarily commitment.
- π€ Referent power is based on personal relationships and the trust that an individual has in another's ability to care for them.
- π‘ Informational power involves sharing insights and knowledge, which can be influential in decision-making processes.
- π The script highlights that relying solely on legitimate and coercive power can lead to resistance or minimal compliance, rather than full commitment.
- π A real-life example is provided where an individual's overuse of legitimate and coercive power led to ineffective outcomes and increased frustration.
- π€ The narrative suggests that expert and referent power are more likely to achieve commitment from others, as they are based on trust, competence, and care.
- πΌ The script emphasizes the importance of understanding and effectively using different power bases to achieve successful organizational outcomes.
Q & A
What are the six power bases mentioned in the research study by French and Raven?
-The six power bases mentioned are reward, coercion, legitimate power, expert power, referent power, and informational power.
What is the difference between reward and coercion power bases?
-Reward power is the ability to give something of value, while coercion power is the ability to take something away or impose negative consequences.
How is expert power defined in the context of French and Raven's study?
-Expert power is based on an individual's knowledge or expertise in a particular area, which others recognize and respect.
What does referent power involve and why is it significant?
-Referent power involves the influence an individual has because others admire or identify with them. It is significant because it can lead to voluntary compliance and commitment.
Why might legitimate power not always lead to effective outcomes?
-Legitimate power might not lead to effective outcomes because it can result in compliance without commitment, and individuals may only do the minimum required, ignoring implied expectations.
What is informational power and how does it influence others?
-Informational power is the ability to control or influence others through access to and the sharing of critical information. It can influence decision-making and actions.
Can you provide an example from the script where legitimate power was misused?
-In the script, an example is given of a military officer who used legitimate and coercion power excessively, leading to resistance and ineffective outcomes as individuals only complied with explicitly stated orders and ignored implied ones.
What are the three major outcomes associated with the use of power as per the script?
-The three major outcomes are resistance, compliance, and commitment. These outcomes vary depending on the power base employed.
How does expert power lead to commitment according to the script?
-Expert power leads to commitment because individuals see the deep understanding and competence of the person wielding the power, leading them to trust and follow their guidance.
What is the role of referent power in achieving commitment?
-Referent power plays a role in achieving commitment when individuals feel a personal connection or admiration for the person influencing them, leading them to willingly follow their lead.
Why is it important to understand the different power bases in organizational settings?
-Understanding different power bases is important in organizational settings because it helps leaders and managers to effectively influence and motivate their teams, leading to better outcomes and organizational success.
Outlines
π Understanding the Six Power Bases
The script discusses a renowned research study by French and Raven, which identifies six power bases: reward, coercion, legitimate, expert, referent, and informational power. Reward and coercion involve the ability to give or take away, while expert power is based on knowledge and legitimate power is the authority to make decisions. Referent power stems from the influence others have over us, and informational power is about sharing insights. The paragraph emphasizes that relying heavily on legitimate and coercion power can lead to compliance but not commitment, as seen in a military example where an individual's heavy-handed approach resulted in resistance and ineffective outcomes. It suggests that expert and referent power are more likely to inspire commitment.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Power Bases
π‘Reward Power
π‘Coercion
π‘Legitimate Power
π‘Expert Power
π‘Referent Power
π‘Informational Power
π‘Commitment
π‘Compliance
π‘Resistance
π‘Organizational Achievement
Highlights
The study by French and Raven identifies six power bases: reward, coercion, legitimate, expert, referent, and informational power.
Reward power is the ability to give, while coercion is the ability to take away.
Expert power stems from knowledge and expertise.
Legitimate power is the authority to make decisions that govern others' actions.
Referent power is the influence others bestow upon an individual.
Informational power is the capacity to share insights and knowledge.
Legitimate and coercion powers can lead to resistance or compliance but not necessarily commitment.
Expert and referent powers are more likely to lead to commitment.
An example of misuse of legitimate power in a military setting led to ineffective outcomes.
People may comply superficially with legitimate power but not fulfill implied expectations.
Overreliance on coercion can lead to resistance and a breakdown in effective communication.
Expert power can inspire commitment due to the recognition of an individual's deep understanding.
Referent power is about trust and the belief that the influencer will take care of the individual.
Successful organizational achievement requires more than just compliance; it requires commitment.
Power bases should be leveraged strategically to achieve different outcomes in organizations.
The study underscores the importance of understanding and applying different types of power in leadership.
The practical implications of the study suggest that leaders should aim for commitment rather than mere compliance.
The study provides a framework for leaders to reflect on their use of power and its impact on followers.
Transcripts
[Music]
there's a very famous research study
conducted by two researcher French and
Raven and it said we essentially have
six power bases that we routinely can
employ reward coercion legitimate power
expert power referent power and
informational power so reward and
coercion the ability to give and the
ability to take expert power of
knowledge legitimate power bestowed upon
you as an entity that has the ability to
make decision ISS that govern others
actions referent which is all about
power bestowed On You by
others and finally information power of
being able to share
insights when you take a look at
legitimate power much like reward and
coercion you can only get so far if you
routinely leverage that in terms of the
three major outcomes associated with
power so you can either resist
somebody's use of power you can
comply or you can commit legitimate
power typically doesn't bring about
Commitment if you routinely employ
legitimate power it can bring about
compliance sometimes it can bring about
resistance one time I witnessed
something that was U very telling when I
was a young officer in the military and
that I saw an individual who constantly
was bossing people around and he was
constantly threatening them with if you
don't do the
following I'm going to make sure that
this happens to you so very big on using
legitimate very big on using
coercion so what started to transpire
where people did exactly what he told
them to do but they knew there were
countless other things that were
implied but weren't specifically stated
and so they elected only to do the
things that were stated and to ignore
the things that were implied in service
of accomplishing the task and the
individual became more and more upset
and he's like well why didn't you do
this this and this and they said well
that's not what you told me and so it
was a clear example of how legitimate
and coercion while efficient might not
lead to effective outcomes because
individuals have to fill in the blanks
with a lot of things in order to bring
about successful organizational
achievement if you want to get at
achieving commitment the two power bases
that most of lead to that outcome are
expert
and referent expert because people can
really see hey this individual has a
deep understanding of what is required
to be successful and referent because if
an individual opens himself up to
another's influence it's because they
have determined this person will take
care of me
[Music]
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