Referent Power: The Ultimate Form of Influence

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” — paraphrased quote from Mahatma Gandhi

Where does a leader’s power come from?

In their landmark 1959 report often referenced in leadership theory, social psychologists John R. P. French and Bertram Raven pinpointed five bases of power:

1. Legitimate: when people perceive that your rank in a formal hierarchy — e.g., manager, CEO, or president — gives you the right to “prescribe” their behavior
2. Reward: when people perceive your ability to distribute rewards for completed tasks or met goals
3. Coercive: when people perceive your ability to distribute punishments and disincentives (the opposite of reward power)
4. Expert: when people perceive your special knowledge or expertise, which causes them to defer to your expertise
5. Referent: when people feel “oneness” with you or a desire to be like you, leading to their respect and admiration of you

Referent power is considered the most potent because it doesn’t require that a leader micromanage, use coercion, or reward to influence others. People follow a leader with referent power based on who the leader is and how they behave. According to French and Raven, referent power has the broadest range of influence…