Essay on an Effective Leaders (282 Words)!
While, even the ineffective leaders can derive power from the positions, the effective leaders possess personal power, in addition to their positional power.
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The personal power is derived from their personality and their skills in the areas of communication and inter-personal relationships. It includes both expert and referent power.
a. Expert power:
Expert power is the power derived from the unique skill or expertise that a person has in solving problems and performing important tasks. For example, a subordinate will follow the directive of his superior because the subordinate believes that the superior “knows” what is to be done and how it is to be done.
Similarly, the computer experts who are designing a computer information system for a company will dictate the design and operations of the system and their expertise power will be accepted.
In the same way, we generally follow our doctor’s or our accountant’s advice and instructions because we believe in their ability and knowledge in their specified areas. Thus if the subordinates view their leaders as competent, they would follow such leaders.
b. Referent power:
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Referent power is associated with personal charisma, respect, trust, emotional involvement, integrity and reputation of the leader so that the followers want to associate with such a leader. The followers see their leaders as role models and try to imitate or emulate them.
This means that the subordinate would obey his superior because he wants to behave in the same manner as the superior and he wants to identify himself with the superior. Referent power extends to political leaders, religious leaders, film stars and other celebrities whose fans follow what the celebrities do.