Why use positional power

He also has legitimate power because he is responsible for the entire Squadron and he has authority to make decisions regarding all of his employees.

Reward power is derived from having the capacity to provide rewards to others Northouse, Employees are nominated each quarter to be recognized for doing good work within that time period. If they win they will be given a day off. They are being rewarded for their hard work. Being rewarded for the hard work will motivate the employees to keep up the good work.

For those employees that are not getting rewarded, it will motivate them to step-up their performance so that they can be rewarded also. Leaders often give to their employees when they meet their goals. Positive reinforcement will promote that good behavior. Coercive power is derived from having the capacity to penalize or punish others Northouse, When employees are late for work, they are given paperwork and it is filed within their personnel folder.

The paperwork is negative for the late employee and could cause the employee to have an unsatisfactory performance report or be terminated if the tardiness becomes a habit. Utilizing negative reinforcement can effect change in the individual involved. Leaders that use coercive power are interested in having employees behave in a manner that is pleasing to them regardless of how the follower feels.

In both cases, the team leaders were extremely competent, highly educated, well-read, and well traveled too.

While one brought out the best in me and thrust me to new heights in a new environment, the other sapped my energy, leaving me to do only the essential that had to be completed to get paid. These contrasting experiences made me reflect on power. What is power? Power as human potential is the ability to influence the behaviour of others or the course of events. Therefore the former is called Positional power and the latter, Personal power.

Personal power is the ability to influence people and events with or without fo r mal authority. Its primary aim is self-mastery: competence, vision, positive personal human qualities, and service. Positional power, on the other hand, is the power that is vested in a person by others — particularly the people who form or lead an organization. Positional power buttressed by a set of rules and laws applies only in a specific framework, example within an institution, a nation, or a corporate.

The primary aim of this power is to ensure that a group of people conform and work together towards common goals set out for the larger group. While positional power can get tasks done in an expected way and ensure that everyone works towards the same goal, it is personal power that inspires people.

Personal power wins the hearts and minds of people instead of merely ensuring a specific predetermined outcome. These two types of power are not exclusive, but often, they are two very different styles of influence. Many great leaders rise to visibility due to their personal power.

Rather, a strong personal leader will be highly respected because of their ability to juggle responsibility, while also being able to be relied on by those around them. Developing personal leadership qualities amongst those outstanding performers in your team is essential for your business to grow around the qualities of self-leadership, self-respect and self-management.

Similarly, those who aspire to be leaders would be advised to invest in their own self-leadership, and develop their personal power, trusting that opportunities to influence others will surely come.

Remember, leadership is not necessarily about the title someone holds or the designation of duties. It is more about the impact, influence and inspiration that someone has over a group of people. More often than not, the real power of a position comes from more than just where they may sit within an organisational chart; it comes from how authentically they can hold a team together, generate enthusiasm in others, and make a genuine difference in an organisation.

Click here to start the Leadership Management Competency Analysis. It appears that you are in New Zealand, to be redirected to our NZ site click here. AU NZ. Positional Leadership v Personal Leadership If you walk into many organisations in most industries, you will likely encounter the staffing phenomenon of those in positional leadership roles, and those in personal or real authentic leader roles.