French and Raven's Five Bases of Power

One of the most notable studies on power was conducted by social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven in 1959. They identified five bases of power:

1. Legitimate – This comes from the belief that a person has the right to make demands, and expect compliance and obedience from others.
2. Reward – This results from one person's ability to compensate another for compliance.
3. Expert – This is based on a person's superior skill and knowledge.
4. Referent – This is the result of a person's perceived attractiveness, worthiness, and right to respect from others.
5. Coercive – This comes from the belief that a person can punish others for noncompliance.

The most effective leaders use mainly referent and expert power.