Referent Power

Watching the video I learned about the different types of power. We saw the head waiter use her legitimate power to convince her employee to take care of some high maintenance customers, as well as a reward power to motivate her staff. I believe that if she didn’t have referent power, Danny the waiter, could have resisted his leader and could have potentially lost a customer which would have impacted the business. I believe referent power is an important aspect to becoming a great leader.

Referent power is the capacity to influence others because of their desire to identify with the leader (Manning, 2009). People tend to accept tasks from leaders that they admire and respect. When a charismatic leader sets a high expectation it becomes natural for staff to want to meet the expectation or even excel. For instance, I continually strive to be more active and healthy for myself and my family. I started running 5Ks, which led to half marathons and a triathlon. With my family watching and encouraging me, I then became their inspiration. This encouraged my children to want to participate in races as well as lead a healthier lifestyle. Referent power influences employees to model the behavior of their leader as a point of reference. (Victor & Turner, 2013). When the staff is given a difficult task, they are able to handle the duty gracefully and willingly due to the high standards set by their leader. As a result, morale is high; employees are confident in their job and are able to handle most situations. 

Reference

Manning, G. (2009). The Art of Leadership, 3rd Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Learning.

Victor, D. A., & Turner, M. C. (2013). Reference for Business. Retrieved from Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd Ed: http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Int-Loc/Leadership-Styles-and-Bases-of-Power.html