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French and Raven's Five
Forms of Power
Understanding Where Power Comes From in the
Workplace
Think of a leader you've known who relied on his or her ability to discipline or reward people to
get things done. Then, remind yourself of a leader who was a renowned expert in his field, or
who you really admired for his integrity.

How did it feel to work for these leaders, and which one got the best from you? The way a
leader behaves toward you and how effectively you work as a result can both depend on the
source of her power. And her power need not come from her official status or title.

Social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven studied this phenomenon more than half
a century ago. Despite its age, their research can still help us to understand why some leaders
influence us, how prepared we are to accept their power, and – if you are a leader – how you
can develop new power bases to get the best from your people.

Understanding Power

In 1959, French and Raven described five bases of power: Privacy - Terms
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4/4/2020 French and Raven's Five Forms of Power - Leadership Training From MindTools.com

1. Legitimate – This comes from the belief that a person has the formal right to make demands,
and to expect others to be compliant and obedient.

2. Reward – This results from one person's ability to compensate another for compliance.

3. Expert – This is based on a person's high levels of skill and knowledge.

4. Referent – This is the result of a person's perceived attractiveness, worthiness and right to
others' respect.

5. Coercive – This comes from the belief that a person can punish others for noncompliance.

Six years later, Raven added an extra power base:

6. Informational – This results from a person's ability to control the information that others need
to accomplish something.

By understanding these different forms of power, you can learn to use the positive ones to full
effect, while avoiding the negative power bases that managers can instinctively rely on.

The Bases of Power

Let's explore French and Raven's bases of power in two groups – positional and personal.

Positional Power Sources

Legitimate Power
A president, prime minister or monarch has legitimate power. So does a CEO, a religious
minister, or a fire chief. Electoral mandates, social hierarchies, cultural norms, and
organizational structure all provide the basis for legitimate power.

This type of power, however, can be unpredictable and unstable. If you lose the title or position,
your legitimate power can instantly disappear, because people were influenced by the position
you held rather than by you.

Also, the scope of your power is limited to situations that others believe you have a right to
control. If a fire chief tells people to stay away from a burning building, for example, they'll likely
listen. But if he tries to make two people act more courteously toward one another, they'll likely
ignore the instruction.

Reward
You arePower
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4/4/2020 French and Raven's Five Forms of Power - Leadership Training From MindTools.com

People in power are often able to give out rewards . Raises, promotions, desirable
assignments, training opportunities, and simple compliments – these are all examples of
rewards controlled by people "in power." If others expect that you'll reward them for doing what
you want, there's a high probability that they'll do it.

The problem with this power base is that it may not be as strong as it first seems. Supervisors
rarely have complete control over salary increases, managers often can't control promotions by
themselves, and even CEOs need permission from their boards of directors  for some
actions. Also, when you use up rewards, or when the rewards don't have enough perceived
value, your power weakens.

Tip:
The exceptions to this are praise  and thanks . We love to receive them and, best of all,
they're free to give!

Coercive Power
This source of power is also problematic, and can be abused. What's more, it can cause
dissatisfaction or resentment among the people it's applied to.

Threats and punishment are common coercive tools. You use coercive power when you imply
or threaten that someone will be fired, demoted or denied privileges. While your position may
allow you to do this, though, it doesn't mean that you have the will or the justification to do so.
You may sometimes need to punish people  as a last resort but if you use coercive power too
much, people will leave. (You might also risk being accused of bullying them.)

Informational Power
Having control over information  that others need or want puts you in a powerful position.
Having access to confidential financial reports, being aware of who's due to be laid off, and
knowing where your team is going for its annual “away day” are all examples of informational
power.

In the modern economy, information is a particularly potent form of power. The power derives
not from the information itself but from having access to it, and from being in a position to
share, withhold, manipulate, distort, or conceal it. With this type of power, you can use
information to help others, or as a weapon or a bargaining tool against them.

Personal Power Sources

Relying on these positional forms of power alone can result in a cold, technocratic,
impoverished style of leadership. To be a true leader, you need a more robust source ofPrivacy
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4/4/2020 French and Raven's Five Forms of Power - Leadership Training From MindTools.com

than a title, an ability to reward or punish, or access to information.

Expert Power
When you have knowledge and skills that enable you to understand a situation, suggest
solutions, use solid judgment, and generally outperform others, people will listen to you, trust
you, and respect what you say. As a subject matter expert , your ideas will have value, and
others will look to you for leadership in that area.

What's more, you can expand your confidence , decisiveness and reputation for rational
thinking  into other subjects and issues. This is a good way to build and maintain expert
power, and to improve your leadership skills.

You can read more about building expert power, and using it as an effective foundation for
leadership, here .

Referent Power
Referent power comes from one person liking and respecting another, and identifying with her
in some way. Celebrities have referent power, which is why they can influence everything from
what people buy to which politician they elect. In a workplace, a person with referent power
often makes everyone feel good, so he tends to have a lot of influence.

Referent power can be a big responsibility, because you don't necessarily have to do anything
to earn it. So, it can be abused quite easily. Someone who is likeable, but who lacks integrity 
and honesty, may rise to power – and use that power to hurt and alienate people as well as to
gain personal advantage.

Relying on referent power alone is not a good strategy for a leader who wants longevity and
respect. When it is combined with expert power, however, it can help you to be very successful.

Infographic

You can see our infographic of French and Raven's theory here:

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4/4/2020 French and Raven's Five Forms of Power - Leadership Training From MindTools.com

Key Points
In 1959, social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven identified five bases of power:

1. Legitimate.

2. Reward.

3. Expert.

4. Referent.

5. Coercive.

And, six years later, added an extra power base:

6. Informational.

Anyone is capable of holding power and influencing others: you don't need to have an
important job title or a big office. But if you recognize the different forms of power, you can
avoid being influenced by those who use the less positive ones – and you can focus on
developing expert and referent power for yourself. This will help you to become an influential
and effective leader.

Apply This to Your Life

1. Go through each power base and write down when and how you've used it.

2. Ask yourself if you used the power appropriately. Consider the expected and unexpected
Youconsequences,
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3. Think about the people who have power and influence over you. What sources of power do
they use? Do they use their power appropriately? Where necessary, develop a strategy to
reduce someone else's illegitimate use of power over you.

4. When you feel powerless or overly influenced, think about how you could regain your own
power and control. After all, you're never without power. Aim to be more aware of the power
you have, and use it to get what you need – humanely.

This site teaches you the skills you need for a happy and successful career; and this is just one
of many tools and resources that you'll find here at Mind Tools. Subscribe to our free
newsletter, or join the Mind Tools Club and really supercharge your career!

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Akshayjoshi 2020-02-02 03:39:57

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Architect00 2019-11-22 07:26:09
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noadna11 2019-10-24 10:00:11
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A great reminder of power bases, how they can be used and who holds the power

Moullette 2019-09-26 13:29:29

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ASECADE 2019-07-02 22:22:34

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