UCC 208: COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP
SESSION 5
LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION AND POWER
Power is a word that is used very frequently in many areas: in politics, in business, in different
scholarly disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, and leadership studies, and also
in communication and language studies.
Power is the ability to act or the capability of doing or accomplishing something.
It can also be defined as the ability to influence others (Hackman & Johnson, 2004). However,
power must be used to achieve group goals, not only individual ones.
Leaders help move group members toward the completion of their goal using various motivational
strategies
Sources of influence (power)
It is said that bosses inherit subordinates, while leaders earn followers. If leadership is considered
to be the influence one person has upon another, as many define it, then what gives a leader the
right to exert that influence?
How do leaders, designated or emergent, gain their ability to influence others?
Classifications of types of power usually use as their basis various sources of power: power can
be related to the official position of a CEO, it can stem from the wisdom of the oldest person in
the family or tribe, or it can be connected with the reputation of an expert in a particular field of
science.
A classic study by French and Raven identified five types of interpersonal influence, or power:
Reward, punishment/coercive, legitimate, referent, and expert
Reward Power.
Reward power is based on positive reinforcement: people are promised money or various benefits
if they fulfill the wish of the person in power.
, Leaders can exercise reward power by giving followers things they value, including tangible items
such as money, material goods, and personal favors, or intangible things such as special attention,
acknowledgment, and compliments.
This power comes from the ability of a group member to provide a positive incentive as a
compliance-gaining strategy.
It is important to set the rules in advance, so that the recipients of the reward are aware of the fact
that something is a reward and not something they are entitled to.
Punishment/ Coercive power.
It is based on punishment and threats
Leaders can use punishment power by withholding these same items. For example, a leader who
frowns because a member has failed to complete an assigned task is administering a form of
punishment. Coercion is a special form of punishment that attempts to force compliance with
hostile tactics. Genuine leaders should not resort to coercion because it breeds resentment.
Employees are threatened that they will lose their jobs if they do not do what is asked of them,
students are warned that if they do not submit their work they will not receive credits, parents tell
their children they will not be allowed to play computer games if they have poor results at school
– those are just a few examples of coercive power in practice.
Since it entails punishment or negative incentive, coercive power can lead to interpersonal conflict
and a negative group climate if it is overused or used improperly.
It is important to state the requirements in advance when using coercive power and to be persistent
in administering the punishment or the threats will be perceived as “empty threats” only and the
coercive power becomes inefficient.
Legitimate power:
It is sometimes also called official or position power, is associated with a position of power. Prime
Minister, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a company, President: these titles are indicators that
the individuals holding the post are in a position of power.
SESSION 5
LEADERSHIP, COMMUNICATION AND POWER
Power is a word that is used very frequently in many areas: in politics, in business, in different
scholarly disciplines such as psychology, sociology, anthropology, and leadership studies, and also
in communication and language studies.
Power is the ability to act or the capability of doing or accomplishing something.
It can also be defined as the ability to influence others (Hackman & Johnson, 2004). However,
power must be used to achieve group goals, not only individual ones.
Leaders help move group members toward the completion of their goal using various motivational
strategies
Sources of influence (power)
It is said that bosses inherit subordinates, while leaders earn followers. If leadership is considered
to be the influence one person has upon another, as many define it, then what gives a leader the
right to exert that influence?
How do leaders, designated or emergent, gain their ability to influence others?
Classifications of types of power usually use as their basis various sources of power: power can
be related to the official position of a CEO, it can stem from the wisdom of the oldest person in
the family or tribe, or it can be connected with the reputation of an expert in a particular field of
science.
A classic study by French and Raven identified five types of interpersonal influence, or power:
Reward, punishment/coercive, legitimate, referent, and expert
Reward Power.
Reward power is based on positive reinforcement: people are promised money or various benefits
if they fulfill the wish of the person in power.
, Leaders can exercise reward power by giving followers things they value, including tangible items
such as money, material goods, and personal favors, or intangible things such as special attention,
acknowledgment, and compliments.
This power comes from the ability of a group member to provide a positive incentive as a
compliance-gaining strategy.
It is important to set the rules in advance, so that the recipients of the reward are aware of the fact
that something is a reward and not something they are entitled to.
Punishment/ Coercive power.
It is based on punishment and threats
Leaders can use punishment power by withholding these same items. For example, a leader who
frowns because a member has failed to complete an assigned task is administering a form of
punishment. Coercion is a special form of punishment that attempts to force compliance with
hostile tactics. Genuine leaders should not resort to coercion because it breeds resentment.
Employees are threatened that they will lose their jobs if they do not do what is asked of them,
students are warned that if they do not submit their work they will not receive credits, parents tell
their children they will not be allowed to play computer games if they have poor results at school
– those are just a few examples of coercive power in practice.
Since it entails punishment or negative incentive, coercive power can lead to interpersonal conflict
and a negative group climate if it is overused or used improperly.
It is important to state the requirements in advance when using coercive power and to be persistent
in administering the punishment or the threats will be perceived as “empty threats” only and the
coercive power becomes inefficient.
Legitimate power:
It is sometimes also called official or position power, is associated with a position of power. Prime
Minister, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of a company, President: these titles are indicators that
the individuals holding the post are in a position of power.
