" 2 Legitimate power, is power which has been confirmed by the very role structure of the group or organisation itself, and is accepted by all as correct and without dispute, such as in the case of the Colonel in the armed forces or the Commander in the police force. Referent power, on the other hand, is the archetypal role-model power. This stems from admiration, respect and even reverence for a role model. The role model then has "referent" power over those being influenced. An excellent example is a film star using their image to enter the political arena, a la Ronald Reagan!.
Most leaders make use of a combination of these five types of power, depending on the leadership style used at any given time. Authoritarian leaders, for example, use a mixture of legitimate, coercive and reward powers, to dictate the policies, plans and activities of a group or a facility. In comparison, a democratic or participative leader would use mainly referent power, involving all members of the group in the decision-making process. .
In working through the self-assessment exercise 3 it has become clear that my own style of leadership leans towards a Referent/Expert form, as I firmly believe that using coercion to lead people is something that should only be resorted to as a last ditch defence. I am also conveniently uncomfortable with it! Referent power, in terms of being able to bestow financial largesse is not part of my portfolio. .
In using the referent style of leadership, I can exercise my own knowledge base of this facility, our budgetary constraints, the administrative tasks set for individuals, their personal contract details, my computer literacy and many other small issues too numerous to mention. I am used as a source of information by most of the department, and often by others who have not had the length of service in this facility that I have. This is personally satisfying to me.
