Legitimate power
Legitimate power can also be called positional power. It's the power someone has because of the relative position they hold within an organization. Legitimate power is formal authority given to one who holds a specific position. (think Military officers, business owners, etc)
Referent power
Referent power is the ability or power of people to attract others and build loyalty. It's based on charisma and interpersonal relationships of the power holder. A person with this type of power might be admired because of specific traits giving them interpersonal influence over the admirer. The admirer (person under the power) wants to be identified with these personal qualities and gains satisfaction from being an accepted follower. (think patriotism, nationalism.... soldiers fighting in war to defend honor of country)
Referent power is unstable standing alone. It's not enough for a leader who wants longevity and respect because its easily corruptible. The one in power could lack integrity and honesty and gain personal advantage at the cost of the group. However, when combined with other sources of power it can be used to achieve amazing success!
Expert power
Expert power is usually highly specific and limited to the particular area in which the person is trained and qualified in. It's the power given to one due to the skills and expertise they possess in the organizations' needs for them. Others will look to you for leadership if you when you demonstrate expertise in an area. They will tend to trust you and respect what you say because your ideas will have more value in the subject matter you're skilled in. (think... surgeon, neurologist, plumber)
Reward power
Reward power refers to the degree in which a person can give others a reward of some kind. It depends on the ability of the power holder to give valued material rewards. Things like time off, desired gifts, promotions, or responsibility. If others expect that you'll reward them for doing what you want, there's a high probability that they will do it. The only draw back to this power is that you may not have as much control over rewards as you need to enforce it. (even a CEO needs permission from the board of directors for some actions). This can weaken the power a holder has and the rewards themselves can often lose their effectiveness in motivational impact.
Coercive power
Coercive power is the ability to demote or withhold rewards. It can be overt and brutal or covert and subtly manipulative. It's the application of negative influences. This power tends to be the most obvious but least effective form of power. It can build resentment and resistance from the people who experience it. Threats an punishment are common tools of coercion, implying that someone will be fired, demoted, or denied privileges, even given undesirable assignments. Relying on this form of power alone will result in a very cold style of leadership.
Persuasive power
Persuasive power works by opening the heart of the follower, in other words, by persuading them to voluntarily change their belief or action. This is done by using awareness and empathy for the follower. Persuasion elevates the dignity and self-esteem of the one at whom such power is directed. It takes more time than any other power but its effects are durable long after its used.
While a Servant Mistress may use from any variation of these powers her deepest well of power would be persuasive power. She is naturally persuasive, very persuasive. She says 'are you willing?' while knowing that the path she and her submissive are walking is uncertain for them. If she is a good Servant Mistress though she is better than most at determining the best direction in which to lead.
Authority, on the other hand, Is nothing like power. It is subjective; it is depends upon an individual’s perception of its rightness. Authority is defined as rightful power. It might be helpful to think which individuals and institutions in your lives command rightful power.
For example Hitler was a person who held power. There is no question about that. He was highly coercive and legitimate in his power. But did he hold real authority? To the United States, and the rest of the world, the answer would be absolutely not. He help power by commanding fear, not respect... it wasn't a rightful power therefore he had no real authority.
A Servant Mistress uses her power and authority to hold her followers captive in the most intriguing an beneficial way to the ones she may own. She pulls from that well liberally and inspires her submissive to give her their submission. I personally, enjoy tremendously watching those under My collar be inspired to submit. Knowing they will do 'x' or be 'y' not because they want to or would enjoy it but simply because they see I would is a satisfaction I relish in. It's made that much sweeter by the fact I've not coerced them into it or abused any authority... it's simply because they feel elevated when they see that I'm pleased.
1 comment:
One interesting facet of the "Reward Power" is that it can also fall apart because of people becoming desensitized to the rewards - meaning that successive rewards must be even greater and more elaborate than the ones before. A very interesting example of this is the gift politics exercised in North Korea.
i must agree, as Your lucky submissive, that inspiring Your sub is something You have finely crafted to a level of expertise that will never cease to amaze me!
-bill
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