Leadership Power and Influence
SCHOOL OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP & BUSINESS INNOVATION UNIVERSITY OF GUYANA TURKEYEN CAMPUS
MNG 2101: BUSINESS LEADERSHIP
Lecturer: Mr. Bruce Lovell
Semester 1
Email: jullian.lovell@uog.edu.gy
STUDENT NOTES – 7
LEADERSHIP POWER AND INFLUENCE
Lecture Outline
Four kinds of influential leaders.
Types of power and influencing tactics.
Increasing power through political activity.
Abuse of leadership power.
The dark side of leadership.
Spiritual values and leadership.
Lecture Objectives
Upon completion of this lecture, you should be able to:
Describe the four major styles of influential leadership.
Discuss similarities and differences among the seven types of power and the use of influencing tactics.
Describe the four leader frames of reference and political tactics for asserting leader influence.
Understand how leaders use power and politics ethically and responsibly.
Describe common reasons why people fail in leadership positions.
Describe principles of spiritual leadership and workplace spirituality.
FOUR KINDS OF INFLUENTIAL LEADERSHIP
Leadership power is associated with two key concepts: power and influence.
Leadership power is organizationally granted based on the leader’s position.
Leaders may also utilize personal power based on their style and relationships.
Four types of influential leadership styles:
Transformational Leadership
Charismatic Leadership
Coalitional Leadership
Machiavellian-style Leadership
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Transformational leadership is distinguished by its capacity to produce significant change in followers and the organization.
They lead changes in vision, strategy, and culture.
Encourage innovation in products and technologies.
Compare transformational leadership with transactional leadership:
Transactional Leadership:
Focuses on an exchange process between leaders and followers.
Leaders recognize followers’ needs and clarify how to meet those needs for rewards.
Focuses on present efficiency, management, stability, rules.
Transformational Leadership:
Focuses on inspiring followers with vision and shared values.
Elevates followers’ concerns from basic needs to higher psychological needs.
Transforms followers into leaders.
Both transactional and transformational skills are necessary; however, organizations thrive on transformational leadership due to the need for continuous change.
CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP
Charismatic leaders evoke emotional responses and inspire followers to transcend their self-interest for the group’s goals.
Distinct from transformational leadership, which engages and empowers.
Charismatic leadership can foster awe and submission.
Example: Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Group, utilizes his passion for fun businesses to engage employees.
Key characteristics of charismatic leaders:
Articulate a compelling vision.
Set high expectations and inspire confidence.
Effectively communicate complex ideas clearly.
Align moral convictions with followers' goals.
Utilize nonverbal communication for emotional impact.
COALITIONAL LEADERSHIP
Coalition leaders build support networks to implement change effectively and achieve goals collaboratively.
Observation of organizational patterns of interaction is crucial.
They foster relationships and alliances that promote cooperation.
Importance in political settings.
Steps for effective coalitional leadership include:
Networking and engaging with stakeholders.
Mapping stakeholder buy-in: Advocates, partners, resisters, and observers.
Promoting cross-silo cooperation; an example is Elon Musk's leadership at Tesla.
MACHIAVELLIAN-STYLE LEADERSHIP
Niccolo Machiavelli’s principles advocate for the pragmatic use of power.
Emphasizes that the ends justify the means to maintain stability.
Often misinterpreted as unscrupulous behavior used for personal gain.
Characteristics of Machiavellian leaders:
Always vigilant for threats to their power.
Employ fear and deception for compliance.
Use manipulation to retain control over resources.
TYPES OF POWER AND INFLUENCING TACTICS
Power defined as the potential to influence others to achieve desired outcomes.
Can be position power (hard power) or personal power (soft power).
SOURCES AND TYPES OF POWER
Source of Power | Position Power/Hard Power | Personal Power/Soft Power |
|---|---|---|
Types of Power | Legitimate, Reward, Coercive | Connection, Information, Expert, Referent |
Influencing Tactics | Legitimization, Consultation, Rational Persuasion, Exchange, Pressure, Coalitions | |
Inspirational Persuasion, Personal Appeal, Ingratiation |
LEGITIMATE POWER AND INFLUENCING TACTICS
Legitimate power is authority given by the organization.
Use tactics like legitimization (order fulfillment based on authority) and consultation (participative management).
REWARD POWER AND INFLUENCING TACTIC
Reward power entails providing value through rewards.
Influencing via exchange tactics by establishing conditions for reward.
COERCIVE POWER AND INFLUENCING TACTIC
Coercive power involves the authority to punish.
Use pressure tactics and maintain authority judiciously.
EXPERT POWER AND INFLUENCING TACTIC
Expert power derives from a leader's specialized knowledge.
Utilizing rational persuasion as an influencing tactic.
REFERENT POWER AND INFLUENCING TACTICS
Referent power comes from personal relationships and loyalty.
Tactics: Personal appeal, inspirational appeal, ingratiation.
INFORMATION POWER AND INFLUENCING TACTICS
Information power is based on access to desired data.
Influencing through rational persuasion and inspirational appeals.
CONNECTION POWER AND INFLUENCING TACTIC
Connection power derives from relationships with influential individuals.
Coalition tactics used for support.
FOLLOWER RESPONSES TO THE USE OF POWER
Responses to power include compliance, resistance, and commitment:
Compliance: Following orders without agreement.
Resistance: Deliberately disregarding instructions.
Commitment: Enthusiastically adopting the leader's vision.
INCREASING POWER THROUGH POLITICAL ACTIVITY
Acquiring and utilizing power often involves political skill and relational building.
Politics viewed as a method for achieving goals in the face of uncertainty or opposition.
LEADER FRAMES OF REFERENCE
A leader's worldview influences their decisions, characterized by structural, human resource, political, and symbolic frames.
Leaders develop through varying perspectives as they mature.
POLITICAL TACTICS FOR ASSERTING LEADER INFLUENCE
Successful leaders adapt their influence tactics based on the situation while considering the principles for effective change.
Six principles: appeal to higher vision, rational persuasion, friendship, reciprocity, ally development, one-on-one engagement.
ABUSE OF LEADERSHIP POWER
The misuse of power for personal gain harms both individuals and organizations.
Personalized leadership centers around self-interests versus socialized leadership focused on higher goals.
THE DARK SIDE OF LEADERSHIP
Leadership plays a pivotal role in determining successful and ethical management versus detrimental behavior.
Associated issues include destructive leadership, managerial incompetence, and derailment.
SPIRITUAL VALUES AND LEADERSHIP
Incorporating spiritual values in leadership fosters accountability and engagement.
Spiritual leadership enhances employee commitment and productivity by fulfilling their fundamental needs for well-being and purpose.