Five Types of Leader Power and the Ethical Boundaries that Govern Their Use
Eva Oyieyo
Judith Risa
Felice Renfro
Oklahoma Wesleyan University

The Five Types of Leader Power

Leadership and power are closely linked. People tend to follow those who are powerful. And because others follow, the person with power is usually the leader. But leaders have power for different reasons. Some are powerful because they alone have the ability to give you a bonus or a raise. Others are powerful because they can fire you, or assign you tasks you don't like. Yet, while leaders of this type have formal, official power, their teams are unlikely to be enthusiastic about their approach to leadership. On the more positive side, leaders may have power because they're experts in their fields, or because their team members admire them. People with these types of power don't necessarily have formal leadership roles, but they influence others effectively because of their skills and personal qualities. Do you recognize these types of power in those around you – or in yourself? And how does power influence the way you work and live your life? In this paper, we will discuss the 5 types of leader power, what each means, how a leader uses each of the 5 powers and the ethical boundaries that should govern their use.
One of the most notable studies on power was conducted by social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven, in 1959. They identified five bases of power listed below:
Legitimate – This comes from the belief that a person has the formal right to make demands, and to expect compliance and obedience from others.
Reward – This results from one person's ability to compensate another for compliance.
Expert – This is based on a person's superior skill and knowledge.
Referent – This is the result of a person's perceived attractiveness,