Know your 7 types of powers!

Know your 7 types of powers which can help shaping you in workplace

There are mainly 7 types of powers and are comes in many different forms. Everyone must learn how to use and handle each type of power to shape the work place and team. These power can make enormous changes in your personal life as well if they are used appropriately. 

Psychologist Nicole Lipkin discusses the different types of power in her new book, "What Keeps Leaders Up At Night." 

TYPES OF POWER

 

POSITIONAL POWER

1. Legitimate Power 

• Power derived from a job, position, or status and held as belonging to the person in such a position.
• Legitimate power is where a person in a higher position has control over people in a lower position in an organization.
• Rewards and Punishments to subordinates are general parts of legitimate power. 
• Not strong enough to be one's only form of influencing/persuading.
• If you have this power, it's essential that you understand that this power was given to you (and remember it can be taken away), so do not abuse it.

2. Coercive Power

• It is where a person leads threats and force. It is unlikely to win respect and loyalty from this power.
• Using coercive power is forcing someone to do something that he/she does not desire to do by using threats. However coercion has also been associated positively with generally punitive behavior and negatively associated to contingent reward behaviour.

• it generally involves abuse and leads to unhealthy behaviour and dissatisfaction.
• Credibility cannot be built with coercive influence
• Examples of coercive power : receiving a poor performance review, having prime projects taken away, fear of losing one’s job

3. Reward Power

• It is where a person motivates others by offering raises, promotions, and awards.
• “When you start talking financial livelihood, power takes on a whole new meaning” according to Lipkin.
• Reward power is conveyed through rewarding individuals for compliance with one’s wishes.
• Examples of reward power are giving bonuses, raises, a promotion, extra time off from work                    

PERSONAL POWER

4. Expert Power 

• It is the perception that one possesses superior skills or knowledge.
• Expert power comes from one’s experiences, skills or knowledge.
• Experts need to continue learning and improving in order to keep their status and influence.
• For example, the Project Manager who is an expert at solving particularly challenging problems to ensure a project stays on track

5. Informational Power

• It is where a person possesses needed or wanted information. 
• It is a short-term power that doesn't necessarily influence or build credibility.
• For example, a project manager may have all the information for a specific project, and that will give her "informational power." But it's hard for a person to keep this power for long, and eventually this information will be released.
• It should not be used as  long-term strategy.

6. Connection Power

• It is where a person attains influence by gaining favor or simply acquaintance with a powerful person. 
• This power is all about networking.
• “If I have a connection with someone that you want to get to, that's going to give me power. That's politics in a way," Lipkin says.
• People employing this power build important coalitions with others

7. Referent Power

• It is the ability to convey a sense of personal acceptance or approval. It is held by people with charisma, integrity, and other positive qualities.
• It is the most valuable type of power when used positively.
• The referent power is sometimes associated with positional when it is negatively used

• People with high referent power can highly influence anyone who admires and respects them.