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Chapter 8
Situational Leadership®: The Perception and Impact of Power
Chapter Overview
Power is one of the most important topics in leadership because power has the potential
to influence; power is what makes a manager’s leadership style work. Because effective
Chapter Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, each student should be able to:
1. Define power as the potential to influence
2. List and describe seven bases of power
Key Terms and Concepts
Power
Power is defined, for our purposes, as a leader’s potential for influencing others, as
opposed to our definition of leadership, which is a leader’s attempt to influence others.
The Bases of Power
There are a number of ways to classify the bases of power. Seven bases of power have
been identified in leadership research. These bases are:
Coercive – based on fear
Connection – based on the leader’s connections to powerful individuals
Expert – based on knowledge and skill of the leader
Is There a Best Type?
This question has generated much research, but the results are inconclusive. Expert and
Power Bases and Readiness Levels
Research results seem to indicate a direct relationship between the job readiness of
Power, Readiness Levels, and Leadership Styles
A leader should vary their use of power bases in relation to the job readiness of
The Situational Use of Power
Coercive – helpful in dealing with people of very low job readiness. Use of this base
tends to entail reminding people of the consequences of failing to progress.
Connection – comes into play as the subordinate begins to develop readiness, but is still
concentrating on avoiding punishment. If a person perceives the manager as having
Referent – attractive to people at moderate to high levels of job readiness, as they still
need high levels of relationship behavior. A leader using Referent power may find the
Participating leadership style enhanced by the subordinate’s liking and admiration of the
leader.
8–4 in text.)
Eroding Sources of Power
Leaders only have a limited amount of power available to them. Some leaders may start
The Power Perception Profile
A measurement devised by Hersey and Natemeyer to provide leaders with feedback on
Suggested Teaching Approaches
Discussion Questions
1. Describe a situation in which power can be used to enhance leadership. Why is
the perception of power such an important idea in that situation?
2. One of the conclusions of this chapter is that a person should have several power
Activities
Have students complete the case study for this chapter. Note: this case study requires that
Exam Questions
1. What is the difference between personal power and position power?
Answer:
Personal power is the extent to which followers respect, feel good about, and are
2. Why does a person sell up and manage down?
Answer:
When attempting to influence up you have to rely on personal power. Therefore,
3. Is there a best type of power?
Answer:
Since power bases are influenced by the situation (e.g., there are power bases that
