Power and Influence Tactics

Position power vs. personal power

The exercise of leadership is intrinsically linked to the use of power, understood as the potential of an individual to influence the attitudes and behaviors of others. This power emanates primarily from two sources: position and personality.

Position power derives from the legitimate status granted by the organization through a formal position, including reward power (giving benefits) and coercive power (ability to sanction).

In contrast, personal power is based on the leader's individual characteristics and abilities.

Within this category we find expert power, where subordinates believe that the leader possesses superior knowledge, and referent power, based on the personal attractiveness and identification that followers feel towards the leader.

It is essential to distinguish between the manager, appointed by hierarchy, and the leader, who is usually chosen and validated by the group he or she leads because of his or her earned influence and moral authority.

Rational persuasion, consultation and coalition

To transform power into tangible results, leaders employ a variety of influence tactics.

Rational persuasion is one of the most effective, using logic and verifiable facts to convince supporters that a request will lead to the desired results.

The tactic of consultation involves actively inviting employees to participate in work planning, making their support the engine of operational success.

When these individual tactics are not enough, the leader can resort to coalition, seeking the backing of others to persuade the group, using the support of others as a valid argument.

Other strategies include the exchange of favors, pleading based on personal loyalty, or the use of demands and threats (pressure), although the latter is usually less effective for long-term commitment.

The leader's success lies in selecting the appropriate tactic according to the maturity of the team and the complexity of the proposed goal.

power and influence tactics