5 Power and Influence Chapter “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” -Abraham Lincoln

Reading Objectives: The student will comprehend the distinctions between power and influence. The student will comprehend the relationship between leadership and power. The student will comprehend the different types of power used in leadership. The student will comprehend the various types of influence tactics which are discussed in the chapter.

Discussion Objectives: Discuss the differences and similarities between power and influence. Discuss the role power plays in leadership. Discuss the various types of power that can be used (or abused) in leadership positions. Discuss various motives that leaders will have to use their power. Discuss the types of influence tactics that the chapter lays out and how they pertain to power.

Some Important Distinctions Power has been defined as the capacity to produce effects on others, or the potential to influence others. Followers or situational characteristics may diminish or enhance a leader’s potential to influence followers. Power does not need to be exercised in order to have its effect. Power is attributed to others on the basis and frequency of influence tactics they use and on their outcomes.

Power, Influence and Influence Tactics Influence: Defined as the change in a target agent’s attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors as the result of influence tactics. Influence tactics: Refer to one person’s actual behaviors designed to change another person’s attitudes, beliefs, values, or behaviors. Followers can wield power and influence over leaders as well as over each other.

Measuring Power and Influence Influence can be measured by the behaviors or attitudes manifested by followers as a result of leader’s influence tactics. Individuals with a relatively large amount of power may successfully employ a wider variety of influence tactics. The amount of power followers have in work situations can also vary dramatically. Sometimes, particular followers may exert relatively more influence than the leader does.

Sources of Leader Power Furniture, office arrangements and type of office Prominently displayed symbols Appearances of title and authority Choice of clothing Presence or absence of crisis

Positional (Managerial) Another Way to Look at Power Positional (Managerial) Legitimate Reward Coercive Expert Referent Compliance Resistance Commitment Personal (Leadership) Coercive???

Expert Power Expert power: Power of knowledge. Some people are able to influence others through their relative expertise in particular areas. If different followers have considerably greater amounts of expert power, the leader may be unable to influence them using expert power alone.

Referent Power Referent power: Refers to the potential influence one has due to the strength of the relationship between the leader and the followers. Referent power often takes time to develop. The stronger the relationship, the more influence leaders and followers exert over each other. Followers with relatively more referent power than their peers are often spokespersons for their units. They generally have more latitude to deviate from work-unit norms.

Legitimate Power Legitimate power: Depends on a person’s organizational role. Legitimate power allows exertion of influence through requests or demands deemed appropriate by virtue of role and position. Holding a position and being a leader are not synonymous. Effective leaders often intuitively realize they need more than legitimate power to be successful.

Reward Power Reward power: Involves the potential to influence others due to one’s control over desired resources. The potential to influence others through reward power is a joint function of the leader, the followers, and the situation. An overemphasis on rewards for performance can lead to resentment and feelings by workers of being manipulated. Extrinsic rewards may not have the same effects on behavior as intrinsic rewards. Leaders who do not understand their followers are more apt to misapply this.

Cautions About Reward Power Leaders can enhance their ability to influence others based on reward power if they: Determine what rewards are available. Determine what rewards are valued by their subordinates. Establish clear policies for the equitable and consistent administration of rewards for good performance. Followers may exercise reward power over leaders by: Controlling administration of scarce resources. Modifying their level of effort.

Coercive Power Coercive power is the potential to influence others through the administration of negative sanctions or the removal of positive events. Reliance on this power has inherent limitations and drawbacks. One of the most common forms of coercion is a superior’s temperamental outbursts. Followers can also use this power to influence their leader’s behavior. More likely to use this power when a relatively high amount of referent power exists among co-workers.

Sources of Leader Power in the Leader-Follower-Situation Framework

Navy Version? Reward Legitimate Expert

Concluding Thoughts about French and Raven’s Power Taxonomy Leaders can usually exert more power during a crisis than during periods of relative calm. During a crisis, followers may be more eager to receive direction and control from leaders. Research indicates that reliance on referent and expert power led to employees who were: More motivated More satisfied Were absent less Performed better Remember Commitment?

Four Generalizations about Power and Influence Effective leaders typically take advantage of all their sources of power. Leaders in well-functioning organizations are open to being influenced by their subordinates. Leaders vary in the extent to which they share power with subordinates. Effective leaders generally work to increase their various power bases or become more willing to use their coercive power.

Leadership dilemma I You are the new supervisor of a vital part of the Kyle Field Construction Project. Wanting to make a good first impression on your boss, you volunteer your team for an unanticipated job. You then inform your foreman that the team will work late nights and weekends between now and the Ole Miss game to complete the project. Your team just finished working double shifts and it was their turn to have nights and weekends off. The next morning your foreman tells you that most of the critical equipment required to complete this new job is down and cannot be fixed in time to complete the job. You have mechanics in your team and an open account for parts. Your foreman is standing in front of you with his sunglasses on and his arms crossed across his chest. The rest of the team is sitting on the curb with their heads down. What do you do?

Leader Motives People vary in their motivation to influence or control others. Two different ways of expressing the need for power: Personalized power Socialized power Thematic Apperception Tests have been used to assess the need for power. It is a projective personality test. Need for power is found to be positively related to various leadership effectiveness criteria.

Leader Motives (continued) Leaders who are relatively uninhibited in their need for power will use power impulsively. Leaders with a high need for power but low activity inhibition may be successful in the short term, but create hazards for the long-term. Some followers have a high need for power too.

Motivation to Manage Individuals vary in their motivation to manage in terms of six composites: Maintaining good relationships with authority figures. Wanting to compete for recognition and advancement. Being active and assertive. Wanting to exercise influence over subordinates. Being visibly different from followers. Being willing to do routine administrative tasks.

Miner’s Sentence Completion Scale Findings concerning both the need for power and the motivation to manage have several implications: Not all individuals like being leaders. A high need for power or motivation to manage does not guarantee leadership success. In order to be successful in the long term, leaders may have to have both: A high need for socialized power. A high level of activity inhibition.

Types of Influence Tactics Influence Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ) assesses nine types of influence tactics: Rational persuasion Inspirational appeals Consultation Ingratiation Personal appeals Exchange Coalition tactics Pressure tactics Legitimizing tactics

Influence Tactics and Power A strong relationship exists between relative power and types of influence tactics used. Hard tactics are typically used when: An influencer has the upper hand. Resistance is anticipated. When a person’s behavior violates important norms. Soft tactics are typically used when: They are at a disadvantage. They expect resistance. They will personally benefit if the attempt is successful.

Influence Tactics and Power (continued) Rational tactics are typically used when: Parties are relatively equal in power. Resistance is not anticipated. Benefits are organizational as well as personal. Leaders with high referent power generally do not use legitimizing or pressure tactics. Leaders with only coercive or legitimate power may use only coalition, legitimizing, or pressure tactics. Using influence tactics can be thought of as a social skill.

A Concluding Thought about Influence Tactics Research indicates that though hard tactics are effective, it also changes the way we see others. An implicit lesson for leaders is of being conscious of the type of influence tactic to use and its effects. It is suggested that leaders pay attention to why they believe particular influence tactics are called for. Influence efforts intended to build others up more frequently lead to positive outcomes rather than vice versa.

So . . . The military is portrayed as using “pressure tactics” with recruits / junior enlisted. Is that fair and if so, does it make sense? Is that what you expect your chain of command to use to influence you as a Junior Officer? If not, why not?

Summary By reflecting on their different bases of power, leaders may better understand how they can affect followers and even expand their power. Leaders can improve their effectiveness by finding ways to enhance their natural leadership style. The exercise of power occurs primarily through the influence tactics leaders and followers use. Leadership practitioners should always consider why they are using a particular influence attempt before they actually use it.

Leadership dilemma II As a leader on your San Diego based ship, you put together a VERY aggressive training plan. You tell the crew that if successfully completed, your unit will not only set new records but with the time now open in the schedule the ship will get a 4 day port call in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. After successfully completing the plan, the senior enlisted approach you to say that the Sailors would prefer to just spend that week in homeport vice underway maximizing liberty with their families. What do you do?

Next session Leadership and Values Read: Leadership, Chapter 6 AFO Ch 5, 8, App3

Discussion Questions Exercises Leadership Dilemmas Remaining slides may be inserted in presentation at instructor’s discretion. Discussion Questions Exercises Leadership Dilemmas

Possible Discussion Questions What “power” did the instructors have at Orientation? What “power” does the BCO have? How about the CO? In an emergency, like if a bomb went off next door right now, who is in charge? Who decides if we should evacuate or stay put? What “power” is that? How would you define “power”? Is an effective leader necessarily a “powerful” one or vice-versa? Can you think of everyday ways or appearances that can enhance or detract from someone’s power? Do you think any of the types of power discussed in the book are inherently bad? What are some situations that you have been in or that you have witnessed which required more than one type of power to be used? Have you ever been in a situation where you think the wrong type of power was used? Which type of power do you think should have been used. When do you think a need for power is a good thing? A bad thing? What kind of influence tactics do you think your parents used on you? What kind of tactics have you used recently? Have you had to use different tactics on different people?

Possible exercises Exercise 5-1 Exercise Title: Influencing Others Purpose: Allows participants to review their own use of power and influence with personal examples. Summary: On 5” x 8” cards have students anonymously write a brief story of a time when they successfully influenced another person or group of people. Upon completion, shuffle and redistribute the cards throughout the class and ask each student to analyze which categories of power and influence apply to the story they receive. Have several students read the stories they were assigned and their analyses of them to the class; lead the class in a discussion of each. You may wish to address the following topics during the discussion phase of the exercise: Which sources of power (or influence tactics) are used most frequently? Why might this be the case? What conclusions can be drawn from this? Just because they are the most often used bases and tactics, does this necessarily mean they are the most effective? How would we measure effectiveness? Given the same situation, what alternative form(s) of power or influence tactics could have been used? Why would you expect these to be more successful? What were the advantages and disadvantages of using the source of power or influence tactic in each situation? Would another source or type have been better? How could such a selection have changed the results?.

Questions?