Power-Influence Approach
Overview
Clearly defining and understanding the meaning of the term leadership continues to be an ongoing effort of researchers today. According to Rauch and Behling (1984), lleadership is, “the process of influencing the activities of an organized group toward goal achievement.” However, several other definitions of leadership have developed over the years. Efforts to provide clear understanding of what leadership entails have been taken using various approaches of research. Although several approaches for studying leadership exist, Yoku has narrowed the method of approach into five different categories (Yukl, 2010, p. 13):
1. Trait Approach
2. Behavior Approach
3. Power-Influence Approach
4. Situational Approach
5. Integrative Approach

This paper will provide insight into the power-influence approach taken by researchers and theorist in their quest to understand better leadership.
How it Works The power-influence approach to researching leadership looks at the influence process between leaders and other people. This approach works under the premise that leaders act causing followers to react. Using this approach, researchers examine the amount and type of power held by leaders, and this power is exerted. This approach not only views how this power influences direct and indirect reports, but also peers, superiors, and external customers, and vendors as well (Yukl, 2010, p. 14). Additional power-influence strategies used questionnaires to identify tactics used by leaders to influence both the attitudes and behaviors of followers. Researchers deemed the use of influencing tactics as a bridge that linked both the influence-power approach to the behavior approach also used by researchers (Yukl, 2010, p. 14). The final piece to the influence-power approach exhibited leader empowering followers, and the use of consultation and