Catherine Owens
catherine3099
week_05.pptWeek 05 - Leading for Change
Leadership power and influence
Objectives
- Recognise your natural leadership frame of reference and how you can expand your perspective.
- Use power and politics to help accomplish important organisational goals.
- Identify types and sources of power in organisations and know how to increase power through political activity.
- Use the influence tactics
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Frames of reference
How leaders view the world:
- Structural frame – emphasis on goal setting.
- Human resource frame – people most valuable.
- Political frame – arenas of ongoing conflict.
- Symbolic frame – system of shared meaning and value.
Frames of reference
Power and Influence Concepts
- Power is an intangible force in an organisation. It cannot be seen, but its effect can be felt.
Power is the ability of one person or department in an organisation to influence other people to bring about desired outcomes. Potential power is realised through politics and influence.
Influence is the effect a person’s actions have on the attitudes, values, beliefs or actions of others. Whereas power is the capacity to cause a change in a person, influence is the degree of actual change.
- Leaders can improve their effectiveness by understanding the various types and sources of power as well as the influence tactics they or their followers may use.
Types of power
- Position power:
Legitimate - Legitimate power is the authority granted from a formal position in an organisation. Certain rights, responsibilities and prerogatives accrue to anyone holding a formal leadership position. Followers accept the legitimate rights of formal leaders to set goals, make decisions and direct activities.
Reward - Reward power stems from the authority to bestow rewards on other people. Leaders control resources and their distributions. Leaders can use reward power to influence subordinates' behaviour.
Coercive - Coercive power is the authority to punish or recommend punishment. Supervisors have the right to fire or demote subordinates, criticise or withdraw pay increases. Coercive power is the negative side of legitimate and reward power.
Types of power
- Personal power:
Expert - Expert power results from a leader's special knowledge or skill regarding tasks performed by followers. When a leader is a true expert, subordinates go along with recommendations because of his or her superior knowledge.
Referent - Referent power comes from leader personality characteristics that command followers’ attention, respect and admiration so that they want to emulate the leader. Referent power depends on the leader’s personal characteristics rather than on a formal title or position and is visible in the area of charismatic leadership.
RMIT University©
School of Management
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School of Management
Responses to power
- Compliance - means that people follow the directions of the person with power, whether or not they agree with those directions.
- Resistance - means that employees will deliberately try to avoid carrying out instructions.
- Commitment - means that followers adopt the leader’s viewpoint and enthusiastically carry out instructions.
Responses to power
Leader power in organisations
- Interdepartmental dependency
- Control over information
- Organisational centrality
- Coping with uncertainty
Politics
- Politics involves activities to acquire, develop and use power and other resources to obtain desired future outcomes when there is uncertainty or disagreement about choices.
Politics
- Individuals and departments within organisations also engage in political activity.
- Impression management.
Ethical considerations
Misuse of power
- When access to resources seems to depend on granting sexual favours or putting up with sexually intimidating or threatening comments, the person in a dependent position is being personally violated, whether or not the leader actually withholds the resources.
Tactics for asserting leader influence
- Use rational persuasion - This is the most frequently used influence tactic; it uses facts, data and logical arguments to persuade others that a proposed idea or request is the best way to complete a task or accomplish a desired goal.
- Make people like you - People would rather say yes to someone they like than to someone they don’t like. When a leader shows concern for others, demonstrates trust and respect, and treats people fairly, people are more likely to want to help and support the leader.
- Rely on the rule of reciprocity - Leaders gain power by having something that others value. A primary way to turn that power into influence is to share what you have – whether it be time, resources, services or emotional support. Leaders who do favours for others can expect favours in return.
Tactics for asserting leader influence
- Develop allies - Reciprocity also plays an important role in developing networks of allies – people can help the leader accomplish goals. A leader’s network of contacts can be expanded by reaching out to establish contact with additional people. Some leaders expand their alliances through the hiring, transfer and promotion process.
- Ask for what you want - Another way to have influence is to make a direct appeal by being clear about what you want and asking for it. Political activity is effective only when the leader’s vision, goals and desired changes are made explicit so the organisation can respond.
Tactics for asserting leader influence
- Remember the principle of scarcity - This principle means that people usually want more of what they can’t have. Leaders can learn to frame their requests or offers in such a way as to highlight the unique benefits and exclusive information being provided.
- Extend formal authority with expertise and credibility - The final principle for asserting authority is the leader’s legitimate authority in the organisation. Research has found that the key to successful use of formal authority is to be knowledgeable, credible and trustworthy. Effective leaders keep the six previous influence principles in mind, realising that influence depends primarily on personal rather than position power.
RMIT University©
School of Management
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School of Management
Summary
- Leadership frames of reference
- Power, influence and leadership
- Sources of leader power in organisations
- Increasing power through political activity
- Asserting leader influence
- Ethical considerations
Source:
The Leadership Experience: Asia Pacific Edition, 1st Edition
Richard L. Daft; Andrew Pirola-Merlo
Chapter 11 Leadership power and influence
RMIT University©
School of Management
*
School of Management
