One can have political power even if one does not possess formal authority in an office

Think of a leader you've known who relied on their ability to discipline or reward people to get things done. Then, remind yourself of a leader who was a renowned expert in their field, or who you really admired for their integrity.

How did it feel to work for these leaders, and which one got the best from you? The way a leader behaves toward you and how effectively you work as a result can both depend on the source of their power. And their power need not come from their official status or title.

Social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven studied this phenomenon more than half a century ago. Despite its age, their research can still help us to understand why some leaders influence us, how prepared we are to accept their power, and – if you are a leader – how you can develop new power bases to get the best from your people.

Not all forms of power have a positive influence.

Understanding Power

In 1959, French and Raven described five bases of power:

Legitimate – This comes from the belief that a person has the formal right to make demands, and to expect others to be compliant and obedient.
Reward – This results from one person's ability to compensate another for compliance.
Expert – This is based on a person's high levels of skill and knowledge.
Referent – This is the result of a person's perceived attractiveness, worthiness and right to others' respect.
Coercive – This comes from the belief that a person can punish others for noncompliance.

Six years later, Raven added an extra power base:

Informational – This results from a person's ability to control the information that others need to accomplish something.

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.

The Bases of Power

Let's explore French and Raven's bases of power in two groups – positional and personal.

Positional Power Sources

Legitimate Power

A president, prime minister or monarch has legitimate power. So does a CEO, a religious minister, or a fire chief. Electoral mandates, social hierarchies, cultural norms, and organizational structure all provide the basis for legitimate power.

This type of power, however, can be unpredictable and unstable. If you lose the title or position, your legitimate power can instantly disappear, because people were influenced by the position you held rather than by you.

Also, the scope of your power is limited to situations that others believe you have a right to control. If a fire chief tells people to stay away from a burning building, for example, they'll likely listen. But if he tries to make two people act more courteously toward one another, they'll likely ignore the instruction.

Reward Power

People in power are often able to give out rewards. Raises, promotions, desirable assignments, training opportunities, and simple compliments – these are all examples of rewards controlled by people "in power." If others expect that you'll reward them for doing what you want, there's a high probability that they'll do it.

The problem with this power base is that it may not be as strong as it first seems. Supervisors rarely have complete control over salary increases, managers often can't control promotions by themselves, and even CEOs need permission from their boards of directors for some actions. Also, when you use up rewards, or when the rewards don't have enough perceived value, your power weakens.

The exceptions to this are praise and thanks. We love to receive them and, best of all, they're free to give!

Coercive Power

This source of power is also problematic, and can be abused. What's more, it can cause dissatisfaction or resentment among the people it's applied to.

Threats and punishment are common coercive tools. You use coercive power when you imply or threaten that someone will be fired, demoted or denied privileges. While your position may allow you to do this, though, it doesn't mean that you have the will or the justification to do so. You may sometimes need to punish people as a last resort but if you use coercive power too much, people will leave. (You might also risk being accused of bullying them.)

Informational Power

Having control over information that others need or want puts you in a powerful position. Having access to confidential financial reports, being aware of who's due to be laid off, and knowing where your team is going for its annual “away day” are all examples of informational power.

In the modern economy, information is a particularly potent form of power. The power derives not from the information itself but from having access to it, and from being in a position to share, withhold, manipulate, distort, or conceal it. With this type of power, you can use information to help others, or as a weapon or a bargaining tool against them.

Personal Power Sources

Relying on these positional forms of power alone can result in a cold, technocratic, impoverished style of leadership. To be a true leader, you need a more robust source of power than a title, an ability to reward or punish, or access to information.

Expert Power

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. As a subject matter expert, your ideas will have value, and others will look to you for leadership in that area.

What's more, you can expand your confidence, decisiveness and reputation for rational thinking into other subjects and issues. This is a good way to build and maintain expert power, and to improve your leadership skills.

You can read more about building expert power, and using it as an effective foundation for leadership, here.

Referent Power

Referent power comes from one person liking and respecting another, and identifying with them in some way. Celebrities have referent power, which is why they can influence everything from what people buy to which politician they elect. In a workplace, a person with referent power often makes everyone feel good, so he tends to have a lot of influence.

Referent power can be a big responsibility, because you don't necessarily have to do anything to earn it. So, it can be abused quite easily. Someone who is likeable, but who lacks integrity and honesty, may rise to power – and use that power to hurt and alienate people as well as to gain personal advantage.

Relying on referent power alone is not a good strategy for a leader who wants longevity and respect. When it is combined with expert power, however, it can help you to be very successful.

Infographic

You can see our infographic of French and Raven's theory here:

In 1959, social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven identified five bases of power:

Legitimate.
Reward.
Expert.
Referent.
Coercive.

And, six years later, added an extra power base:

Anyone is capable of holding power and influencing others: you don't need to have an important job title or a big office. But if you recognize the different forms of power, you can avoid being influenced by those who use the less positive ones – and you can focus on developing expert and referent power for yourself. This will help you to become an influential and effective leader.

Apply This to Your Life

Go through each power base and write down when and how you've used it.
Ask yourself if you used the power appropriately. Consider the expected and unexpected consequences, and decide what you'll do differently next time.
Think about the people who have power and influence over you. What sources of power do they use? Do they use their power appropriately? Where necessary, develop a strategy to reduce someone else's illegitimate use of power over you.
When you feel powerless or overly influenced, think about how you could regain your own power and control. After all, you're never without power. Aim to be more aware of the power you have, and use it to get what you need – humanely.

Organizations are networks of power, influence, and authority. For the leader at the top, these dimensions are usually pretty clear. For everyone else, less so.

Those with less direct authority have to use what power, influence, and other types of authority they have to make things happen. Basically, if people won't just do what you tell them to based on the title you hold or your position (or fear), you have to develop other types of authority. That's not a bad thing.

Authority is an important piece of the puzzle.

As a leader, it’s your responsibility to be aware of the control you hold over other people. And most importantly, how to use this control to guide your team to success.

A good leader understands the different types of power and when it’s appropriate to use them. They also understand how to use influencing tactics to achieve outcomes.

But what is authority, really?

How is it different from power and influence?

And how does authority relate to leadership and leadership values?

Let’s explore this important aspect of leadership and how different types of authority come into play in everyday life.

What is authority?

Authority is the right to assign tasks and responsibilities, allocate and direct resources, make decisions, and enforce compliance.

Authority can be formal and assigned or informal, earned.

Authority also refers to legitimate power to make decisions on behalf of the organization. A person with legitimate authority can act as they see fit to achieve company goals and objectives. It gives a person the right to use and allocate resources in service of team or organizational outcomes. The assumption is that a person with legitimate authority will act in the best interests of the organization.

Essentially, this type of authority is the right to give a command. This means that leaders and top-level management always have the greatest authority. It is authority that directs interactions from a superior to a subordinate. This forms a foundation of accountability.

Authority gives a manager the power to instruct and command others. They decide to act (or refrain from acting) in order to achieve key goals set out by their organization.

This authority doesn't guarantee that commands or instructions will be executed.

Although power and authority are closely linked, they are different. Power is the ability to influence others and control their actions. Authority is the legal and formal right to give orders and make decisions.

3 sociological types of authority

Sociologist Max Weber developed a classification system for the concept of authority in his essay “The Three Types of Legitimate Rule.”

Let's take a look at Weber's three types of authority.

1. Charismatic authority

Charismatic authority comes from the personal charisma, strength, and charm of an individual’s personality.

Weber noted that people do not follow charismatic leadership based on virtue, tradition, or statute. People follow this authority because they believe in the leader.

Examples of leaders with charismatic authority include:

Nelson Mandela
Aung San Suu Kyi
Martin Luther King Jr.

With this type of authority, the true knowledge and capabilities of a charismatic leader aren’t necessarily relevant. As long as the people they are leading believe that they are competent, their authority is respected.

According to Weber, it’s especially difficult for charismatic leaders to keep their authority. This is because their followers must always legitimize their authority for the leader to maintain their power.

Charismatic authority differs from traditional and legal-rational authority. It does not develop from established traditions and regulations.

Rather, it develops from the belief a leader’s followers have in them. Once a leader loses this, systems transform into legal-rational or traditional authority systems.

2. Traditional authority

The legitimacy of traditional authority comes from traditions and customs. Weber describes this system as the “authority of the eternal yesterday.”

A good example of a traditional authority system would be a monarchy. Most governments throughout history have led according to this form of authority.

In this form of domination, subordinates accept the type of authority. They refrain from challenging the traditional rights of a powerful group or individual.

Weber believed that traditional authority creates and preserves inequalities. If this authority is not challenged, the leader will stay in power indefinitely.

3. Rational-legal authority

Rational-legal authority is also known as bureaucratic authority or legal authority. With this type of authority, an individual or ruling group exerts power based on legal office.

Once the person in power leaves their official position, their authority is lost. Those who govern have a legal right to do so, and subordinates accept this legal authority.

Weber noted that “rationally created rules” form the foundation of this type of authority. A good example of this is modern democracies and democratic leadership.

In the past, legal authority systems have often developed in opposition to traditional authority.

It’s important to note that rational-legal authority can be challenged by its subordinates. But this challenge is not likely to result in rapid structural changes.

8 types of authority in everyday life

Authority is an integral part of the society in which we live. It ensures that rules are adhered to. Authority also prevents the breakdown of social order.

A world without rules, laws, and authority figures may seem utopian to some. But the absence of law and order can lead to widespread disruption and chaos. This destabilizes valued concepts like:

In the 1960s, psychologist Stanley Milgram performed a range of obedience experiments. These experiments found that people were generally willing to go to great lengths to obey figures of authority. Milgram’s experiments also found that the presence of an authority figure improved compliance.

These are the key types of authority and authority examples in modern society.

1. Founder authority

Founder authority is usually held by the founding member of a group or organization. It is based on their experience managing people and organizations.

Founders often have well-defined roles and responsibilities. They have a vested interest in their particular area of specialization. This makes them more involved in their group’s operations than anyone else.

Founder authority is based on:

Knowledge
Previous experience
A will to see an organization succeed

Founders have authority over employees and even senior leaders of an organization.

2. Ownership authority

This type of authority belongs to individuals who own a company or organization. This ownership gives them the right to make decisions on behalf of the entire organization. Great examples are sole proprietors and sports team owners.

As well as authority, these leaders carry a lot of responsibility. Their decisions affect everyone in their organization.

It's important to note that leaders with this type of power need good decision-making skills. They have only their ownership authority to rely on and may lack the right skills to serve their organization’s best interests.

3. Punitive authority

Punitive authority gives an individual the ability to punish others if they have broken rules. This authority is often bestowed upon individuals based on legal and regulatory criteria. It can be taken away once they have left their positions of power.

Examples include judges of court and umpires in sports games. Both of whom can use rules and laws to control the outcomes of sessions under their jurisdiction.

4. Relational authority

In some groups, any action taken by a member could affect the entire group. Because of this, the members of the group have relational authority.

Examples of relational authority would be members of sports teams or large corporations. These members could negatively impact their groups if they do not achieve their targets.

In any business, employees, managers, and supervisors all have relational authority. Each person is connected in some way to all other employees.

5. Reward authority

People with reward authority have the power to reward others for positive actions and behaviors. They may also hold punitive authority. This enables them to withhold rewards based on negative behaviors.

These rewards can be tangible, such as pay and compensation increases or positive performance reviews. Or they can be intangible, such as praise and recognition. College professors, HR professionals, and teachers are examples of this type of authority.

6. Results authority

Results authority is based on the ability to achieve certain targets and objectives. It is created when people consistently achieve positive results using their unique skill sets.

If you have produced results in the past, you will likely do so again. This is why people consider you an authority figure.

For example, you may have been made project manager and produced excellent results. Because of your previous success, you are put in charge of other projects so that they can also be successful. In this instance, you have results authority.

Professional sports team coaches and corporate training professionals are other good examples of results authority. These types of leaders have proven time and time again that they can achieve desired results. They have earned this authority through their:

Strategic planning
Execution
Organizational efforts

7. Expert authority

People that are experts and specialists in particular subjects have expert authority. These types of leaders usually only specialize in one or two areas. But this is why their opinions and viewpoints are so valued by their peers.

A good example in a corporate environment would be a business or economic analyst with many years of experience.

Expert authority is not to be confused with expert power. Expert power is based on the perception of having a high level of knowledge or specialized skills.

8. Reverent authority

People with reverent authority have won their peers over with their approach to people. It is based on their respect, compassion, and empathy for others.

Those with this kind of authority don’t necessarily need to be experts on any given subject. Rather, they have magnetic personalities. Their care and regard for everything they do lead people to view them as authoritative figures.

Professional therapists and counselors are examples of reverent authorities.

Reverent authority is not to be confused with referent power. A leader who has strong interpersonal relationship skills will gain this type of power.

Leadership and authority

Leadership and authority are interrelated in a number of ways. However, it takes more than just authority to make an effective leader.

Authority is a form of legitimate power that comes with a certain position. It is based on control and credibility. Being in a position of authority does not automatically inspire your team or give you devotion.

On the other hand, leadership is based on the personal qualities and character of an individual. It is about social skills, not power and control. There is a foundation of agreement and trust between leaders and their teams.

An important aspect of leadership is the delegation of authority. Through delegation, leaders empower their teams to do the work they are best suited to. As well as dividing up work, delegation is about sharing responsibility and decision-making.

Strong team leadership creates followers out of free choice without forcing them to adhere to certain standards. Effective leaders always provide their followers with a platform to voice their thoughts and give feedback.

Exercising authority can have the unintended effect of limiting a team’s approach to problem-solving. Leadership fixes this by encouraging people to be creative and look beyond the obvious. They must think creatively to develop innovative solutions that work for everyone involved.

When dealing with adults in a working environment, using authority alone to direct and control them does not work well. Leadership provides a more effective approach of:

Inclusion
Belonging
Rapport building

This creates strong relationships built on foundations of trust and respect.

Leaders may rely on formal authorities for guidance. But it takes more than just authority to make a leader. People in leadership positions are trusted and admired not only for their authority but also for their expertise, integrity, and judgment.

Authentic leadership can inspire followers to change through self-management methods. This is why leadership is effective at promoting positive attitudes and behaviors. It’s a tool for encouraging a healthy company culture.

Know your types of authority for great leadership

Authority is present in every aspect of modern society. From corporate environments to government, different types of authority keep everyone in check.

Although authority is a crucial part of the workplace, effective leaders know when to use which type of authority in which situation. They use it in moderation, together with the right management style.

Great leaders do not rely solely on one type of authority. They cultivate durable forms of authority across the people that matter to their success. That's why you will see people willing to follow a leader even when that person loses their job or is demoted.

Active leadership is a way of cultivating durable authority. Good leaders take the initiative to lead people and help their teams succeed.

The people who actively lead their people will be those who are followed, remembered, and respected for years to come.

BetterUp coaching can help leaders across your organization understand and develop their own types of authority. Contact BetterUp for a demo.