Charisma, Influence, and Power: Leader's Tools

Sources of Power

John French and Bertram Raven (1959) identified five sources of power:

Legitimate Power — power delegated by position. The director has the right to give instructions. Limited: works only within the organization and only within the boundaries of role expectations.

Reward Power — the ability to give positive incentives: bonuses, promotion, recognition. Effective, but creates dependency.

Coercive Power — fear of punishment. Works short-term, but destroys motivation and culture in the long run.

Expert Power — the power of knowledge and competence. Stable and respected. An effective leader is not necessarily an expert in everything, but is perceived as competent in key issues.

Referent Power — the power of personality and charisma. "I like and respect this person, therefore I follow them." The most powerful and most sustainable source.

Charisma: Can It Be Developed

Charisma is not innate magic. It is a set of skills: (1) clear and convincing articulation of vision; (2) nonverbal communication (body language, voice, gaze); (3) ability to create emotional resonance; (4) storytelling skills; (5) ability to "read the audience" and adapt.

Olivia Fox Cabane’s "The Charisma Myth": charisma can be developed like physical fitness. The basis is the states of presence, power, and warmth.

Politics in the Organization: A Skill, Not Filth

Organizational politics are inevitable. Denying this deprives the leader of influence. Positive politics: (1) build relationships with key stakeholders before a crisis; (2) understand the informal structure of power; (3) promote ideas through the right people; (4) create coalitions.

Practical Assignment

Identify three people in your organization whose support is critical for the success of your current project. For each: (1) What is important to them? (2) What source of power do you have with respect to them? (3) What value can you offer? (4) How to build a relationship before the decision you need?