"Influence is the essence of leadership. To be effective as a leader, it is necessary to influence people to carry out requests, support proposals, and implement decisions" ~ Yukl
While we have discussed varying definitions of leadership there is one common factor that is synonymous with leadership. Influence. One must be able to exert influence in order to lead. Terms like power and authority contribute to influence through various means, and there are many tactics, or ways to use these terms to influence others.
But, how does one gain power or authority? There are several sources that are linked power. Legitimate, reward, coercive, referent, expert, informational, ecological, position and personal power are all sources that contrive influence over others. Some may be more effective than others, and some may be interchangeable. All can be used effectively to gain influence.
The very nature of power is rooted in the individual. Sure, the boss' nephew can become VP of a department through nepotism, which has its own set of legitimate power sources, but to be effective the nephew should learn to use this power and authority to lead effectively. Leaders must consistently prove to their followers why they are in charge. Rewarding and rallying the team for expected results and behaviors supports legitimate power sources. Referent and expert sources can be used to build on a strong knowledge base and likability. Information control and ecological power sources can be used to motivate others to be better and increase their desires to learn and grow.
Once power influence is attained it must be used cautiously as to not abuse its gravity. Coercion is a powerful tool and source of power to accomplish a task, but may result in negative responses if abused. Positive influence is more rewarding than negative, but both can be used to accomplish a goal. We are judged by our perceptions and uses of our power just as much as we are judged by our results. Often, the road to accomplishment is more important than the destination.
I am a General Manger for an outdoor living store with seven employees under my charge. These employees were in place before I arrived on the scene, and it was with a sense of understanding of my positional power that would lay the foundation for growth in our office. Yes, I was the new boss. Yes, I had certain positional authority over the employees, but how I handled this position was going to build the perception of my personal power to influence the team in the direction we need to go. Instead of coming in like a wrecking ball and changing everything I chose to use the power of others to gain insight into their thoughts, goals, and methods. I became the student learning the culture. I openly praised the efforts of the team while making notes on where we could be more efficient down the road. Only when I was "part of the team" and not a threat to the culture was I able to start implementing changes towards efficiency.
Ultimately, the final decisions in our office are mine to make. I pass on the rewards and praises to the team and shoulder the burdens and responsibility of failure as the leader. Through my continuous actions I have reenforced my power and authority as the GM. Almost always changes can be painful to some extent, and I have used my power to gain the confidence of our crew that these changes will improve our position in the marketplace.
Overall, we all share some power to influence others. How we use this power and use it to grow as people is what matters in the end.
While we have discussed varying definitions of leadership there is one common factor that is synonymous with leadership. Influence. One must be able to exert influence in order to lead. Terms like power and authority contribute to influence through various means, and there are many tactics, or ways to use these terms to influence others.
But, how does one gain power or authority? There are several sources that are linked power. Legitimate, reward, coercive, referent, expert, informational, ecological, position and personal power are all sources that contrive influence over others. Some may be more effective than others, and some may be interchangeable. All can be used effectively to gain influence.
The very nature of power is rooted in the individual. Sure, the boss' nephew can become VP of a department through nepotism, which has its own set of legitimate power sources, but to be effective the nephew should learn to use this power and authority to lead effectively. Leaders must consistently prove to their followers why they are in charge. Rewarding and rallying the team for expected results and behaviors supports legitimate power sources. Referent and expert sources can be used to build on a strong knowledge base and likability. Information control and ecological power sources can be used to motivate others to be better and increase their desires to learn and grow.
Once power influence is attained it must be used cautiously as to not abuse its gravity. Coercion is a powerful tool and source of power to accomplish a task, but may result in negative responses if abused. Positive influence is more rewarding than negative, but both can be used to accomplish a goal. We are judged by our perceptions and uses of our power just as much as we are judged by our results. Often, the road to accomplishment is more important than the destination.
I am a General Manger for an outdoor living store with seven employees under my charge. These employees were in place before I arrived on the scene, and it was with a sense of understanding of my positional power that would lay the foundation for growth in our office. Yes, I was the new boss. Yes, I had certain positional authority over the employees, but how I handled this position was going to build the perception of my personal power to influence the team in the direction we need to go. Instead of coming in like a wrecking ball and changing everything I chose to use the power of others to gain insight into their thoughts, goals, and methods. I became the student learning the culture. I openly praised the efforts of the team while making notes on where we could be more efficient down the road. Only when I was "part of the team" and not a threat to the culture was I able to start implementing changes towards efficiency.
Ultimately, the final decisions in our office are mine to make. I pass on the rewards and praises to the team and shoulder the burdens and responsibility of failure as the leader. Through my continuous actions I have reenforced my power and authority as the GM. Almost always changes can be painful to some extent, and I have used my power to gain the confidence of our crew that these changes will improve our position in the marketplace.
Overall, we all share some power to influence others. How we use this power and use it to grow as people is what matters in the end.
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