Chapter 9

Communication is an important part of leadership. "Leadership is a human (symbolic) communication that modifies the attitudes and behaviors of others in order to meet the shared group goals and needs" (Johnson & Hackman, 2018, p. 12). Dr. Martin Luther King is cited for his “I Have A Dream speech to convey the importance of animating the vision by referencing real places, using symbolic language to influence others, and expressing images of the future in a clear description (Kouzes & Posner, 2008). Whether you are leading or following, an understanding of leadership and how communication plays a vital part in leadership is essential. This chapter provides a basis for understanding leadership in the workplace. 

Leadership vs. Management

The terms "management" and "leadership" have been used interchangeably, yet there are clear similarities and differences between them. Both terms suggest directing the activities of others. In one definition, managers do so by focusing on the organization and performance of tasks and by aiming at efficiency, while leaders engage others by inspiring a shared vision and effectiveness. Managerial work tends to be more transactional, emphasizing processes, coordination, and motivation, while leadership has an emotional appeal, is based on relationships with followers, and seeks to transform.

One traditional way of understanding the differences between managers and leaders is that people manage things but lead other people. More concretely, managers administrate and maintain the systems and processes by which work gets done. Their work includes planning, organizing, staffing, leading, directing, and controlling the activities of individuals, teams, or whole organizations for the purpose of accomplishing a goal. Basically, managers are results-oriented problem-solvers with responsibility for day-to-day functions that focus on the immediate, shorter-term needs of an organization.

In contrast, leaders take the long-term view and have responsibility for where a team or organization is heading and what it achieves. They challenge the status quo, make change happen, and work to develop the capabilities of people to contribute to achieving their shared goals. Additionally, leaders act as figureheads for their teams and organizations by representing their vision and values to outsiders. Effective businesspeople should be able to both manage and lead to get things done, but without power and authority, this would prove quite difficult.

Power and Authority

Power

Power comes from several sources, each of which has different effects on the targets of that power. Some derive from individual characteristics; others draw on aspects of an organization's structure. The six types of power are legitimate, referent, expert, reward, coercive, and informational (French & Raven, 1959).

• Legitimate Power, also called "position power," is the power individuals have from their role and status within an organization. Legitimate power usually involves formal authority delegated to the holder of the position.

• Referent power comes from the ability of individuals to attract others and build their loyalty. It is based on the personality and interpersonal skills of the power holder. A person may be admired because of a specific personal trait, such as charisma or likability, and these positive feelings become the basis for interpersonal influence.

• Expert power draws from a person's skills and knowledge and is especially potent when an organization has a high need for them. Narrower than most sources of power, the power of an expert typically applies only in the specific area of the person's expertise and credibility.

• Reward power comes from the ability to confer valued material rewards or create other positive incentives. It refers to the degree to which the individual can provide external motivation to others through benefits or gifts. In an organization, this motivation may include promotions, increases in pay, or extra time off.

• Coercive power is the threat and application of sanctions and other negative consequences. These can include direct punishment or the withholding of desired resources or rewards. Coercive power relies on fear to induce compliance.

• Informational power comes from access to facts and knowledge that others find useful or valuable. That access can indicate relationships with other power holders and convey status that creates a positive impression. Informational power offers advantages in building credibility and rational persuasion. It may also serve as the basis for beneficial exchanges with others who seek that information.

All of these sources and uses of power can be combined to achieve a single aim, and individuals can often draw on more than one of them. In fact, the more sources of power to which a person has access, the greater the individual's overall power and ability to get things done.

Authority 

American Businessman, Chester Barnard, developed a way of looking at two types of authority: authority of position and authority of leadership. Authority of position relies on being the designated leader, a member elected or appointed as leader. Managers derive power from their position and the types of power they hold are legitimate, coercive, and information (Adler, 2019; Northouse, 2020). Authority of leadership comes from having the knowledge, ability, personality, and interpersonal skills that are the right fit in the right situation. Leaders have referent and expert power. In a group that does not have an official leader, sometimes group members will gradually start looking to a particular member of the group for leadership. This group member becomes an emergent leader, the unofficial leader of the group.

While many students of this course will go on to manage teams, organizations, and companies, everyone will have opportunities to lead without being granted the authority of position. To leverage these opportunities, you must know what types of power exist and when to use them. For example, having expert power allows someone to step-up, because they have the most knowledge about a specific subject. 

Attributions: 

Information for the ‘Leadership vs. Management’ section was modified from 

BUS401: Defining Leadership Provided by The Saylor Foundation (2020) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License. 

Information for the ‘Power and Authority' section was modified from 

BUS401: Sources of Power | Saylor Academy Provided for by The Saylor Academy. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

References:  

Adler, R. B. (2019). Communicating at work: Strategies for success in business and the professions. (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Burns, J. S. (1996). Defining Leadership: Can We See the Forest for the Trees? Journal of Leadership Studies, 3(2), 148-157. https://doi.org/10.1177/107179199600300212 

French, J. R. P., & Raven, B. (1959). The bases of social power. In D. Cartwright (Ed.), Studies in social power (pp. 150-167). University of Michigan. 

Johnson, C., & Hackman, M. Z. (2018). Leadership: A communication perspective (7th edition). Waveland Press, Inc. 

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2008). The leadership challenge (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass. 

Lyon, A. (2020, August 24). Definition of Leadership from a Communication Perspective [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jjlVTqKp3g 

Northouse, P. G. (2020). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice. Sage Publications, Incorporated.

Rost, J. (1991). Leadership for the Twenty-First Century. Praeger.