Legitimate power, perhaps the most crucial of the five types of leadership power concepts, was introduced by psychologists John French and Bertram Raven in 1959 and 1965 as a psychological concept.
It describes a leader’s power derived from the perception that those in positions of authority have the right to make decisions, give orders and influence others. This basically refers to the authority granted to a manager based on the official position of an organisation.
To a manager, this type of authority granted by management is an important tool to lead a team of employees towards organisational success. However, as always, a mere authoritative approach towards a team can be ineffective unless such power is used thoughtfully, compassionately and respectfully.
Striking the right balance
When practised wisely, legitimate power may be a tool to foster mutual respect and trust among team members. Leaders who are aware of their influence yet maintain their modesty and cordiality and are frequently better at motivating and directing their people to meet company objectives.
A difficult but essential component of good leadership is finding the ideal balance between expressing authority and staying a member of the team.
Legitimate power, when used wisely, becomes a tool for building respect and trust within the team. Leaders who acknowledge their power but remain humble and accessible are often more successful in inspiring and guiding their teams towards achieving organisational goals.
It’s about striking the right balance between asserting authority and remaining part of the team, a challenging but crucial aspect of effective leadership.
As discussed, in business, legitimate power is given by an authority to an individual to effectively manage the workforce or a team. For example, a CEO or senior manager is vested with the power to make decisions, assign duties and responsibilities, allocate physical resources, and to determine common goals. This power is usually unchallengeable and works best when the leader’s decisions are fair and exercised responsibly.
The basis of the application of legitimate power is to ensure clarity of the team member’s duties and responsibilities. It is important for leaders to clearly explain the authority the leader carries with the position. Also, team members must be clearly aware of their own responsibilities to perform effectively.
Therefore, it is imperative to unmistakably outline what is expected of each of the team members. They are more likely to understand the leader’s legitimate power and respect authority when they understand their own job roles. Also, leaders can effectively communicate organisational objectives, vision, and mission by exercising legitimate power.
The legitimate power of a leader is at its best when they make decisions fairly and consistently. When employees feel and believe that their leader’s decisions are reasonable, they are more likely to respond to the leader’s directives. In addition, the leader can earn respect and foster trust with fair decision-making.
Credibility
However, the leader must make sure that rules and policies of the organisation are carried out throughout the hierarchy without bias and enforce those rules uniformly. Every decision must be made on facts, impartial information and other established criteria rather than personal opinions. This can enhance the credibility of the leadership that can greatly increase individual performances.
As an unwritten rule, employees always expect their leaders to be role models. Legitimate power can be augmented when the leader sets an example by leading from the front by demonstrating integrity, dedication and professionalism.
A leader’s behaviour and visible character reinforces his authority and fosters trust among team members.
Hence, leaders must respect the power granted and be accountable for all their official decisions and accept responsibility for such decisions and actions. That not only enhances the personality of the leader but also is a good lesson for team members to develop their own careers. Also, the leader must dedicate himself to organisational goals genuinely. Employees are more likely to follow a leader who is genuinely invested in the success of the organisation.
‘Empower and motivate’
‘Empower and motivate’ is an effective leadership practice leaders can exercise with legitimate power. Legitimate power grants authority to direct a team and delegate tasks. Successful leaders empower their teams to nurture a sense of ownership among team members. Therefore, leaders must assign tasks to team members aligned with their job roles with adequate resources to succeed.
Trusting subordinates demonstrates leaders trust in them, and in return they also try to offer their best. However, the leader must support them unconditionally by removing obstacles and providing them with the resources they require. This reinforces the leader’s role as a facilitator of success rather than an a mere enforcer of rules.
Communication is one of the most important criteria in business as a whole and effective corporate leadership. leadership. Legitimate is a powerful tool to foster clear and open communication with employees. That builds trust and ensures discipline across the organisation. A good leader always explains the reasons behind his decisions to team members to enhance understanding and to earn trust.
It also indicates that the decisions are well-informed, thoughtful, and open to dialogue. Leaders use their power to encourage team members by sharing information that can hugely strengthen relations with subordinates.
Positive change
A leader’s authority can enhance good organisational culture and can be used to drive positive change that can inspire loyalty and commitment. A good leader identifies areas in the organisation that need change or improvement and implement action.
Authority is a powerful catalyst for progress when applied intelligently. Power also can promote employee satisfaction and well-being.
Legitimate power offers legitimate authority to address conflicts and other organisational issues. However, it can be a challenge for a leader, as the decisions made on conflicts can be a test and a challenge. Managing and mitigating such situations decisively and effectively indicates leadership capability.
Therefore, it is crucial for a leader to resolve conflicts promptly and impartially because allowing issues to aggravate can undermine a leader’s authority and disrupt harmony. Hene, the leader, must use authority firmly to settle conflict situations.
Leaders who rely solely on legitimate power tend to fail in the long run. Iron-fisted tactics do not work with the modern workforce, as they are well-informed and knowledgeable about what is happening around them. Therefore, leaders must be empathic, compassionate and reasonable to be effective.
Successful leaders combine the other four models of leadership power, namely, reward power (motivation), referent power (empathy), expert power (knowledge) and coercive power (punishment), skillfully to succeed. They develop strong and positive relationships with the team. A leader who is approachable and empathetic inspires trust and loyalty.
Legitimate power is an essential source in management to lead a team. However, the effectiveness of legitimate power depends on how it is used in specific situations. By leveraging this power fairly, empathetically and justifiably, a leader can establish trust, collaboration and immensely enhance a positive work culture.
Therefore, understanding legitimate power and how to use it appropriately is crucial for leaders to succeed in their roles and achieve long-term organisational goals.
