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