Followership, Power, and Influence

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Followership, Power, and Influence

• HPR 412
• Spring 2006

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Learning Objectives

• What is effective followership?
• What sources and types of power do leaders and
  followers have?
• Personal and organizational
• What influence tactics can we use to exercise
  power effectively?
• What is organizational politics?

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Critical and Uncritical Thinking

• Critical Thinking
• Thinking independently and being mindful of the
  effects of ones own and other peoples behavior
  on achieving the organizations vision.
• Uncritical Thinking
• Failing to consider possibilities beyond what one
  is told accepting the leaders ideas without
  thinking.

What kind of thinking do you think leaders want
from followers?
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Ex. 7.1 Followership Styles
Independent, critical thinking
Alienated
Effective
Pragmatic Survivor
Passive
Active
Conformist
Passive
Dependent, uncritical thinking
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Sources of Follower Power

• Personal Sources
• Knowledge
• Expertise
• Effort
• Persuasion

• Position Sources
• Location
• Information
• Access

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Ways to Influence Your Leader or Manage Your Boss
Be a Resource for the Leader Determine the
leaders needs. Zig where the leader zags. Be
honest and dependable. Align self to team
(commitment). Dont misuse boss time or
resources
Help the Leader Be a Good Leader Ask for
advice. Tell leader what you think. Find things
to thank leader for. Anticipate problems
View the Leader Realistically Give up idealized
leader images recognize weaknesses Dont hide
anything. Dont criticize leader to
others. Disagree when necessary, but dont fall
victim to counter- dependency
Build a Relationship Recognize mutual
dependency. Welcome feedback and criticism. Ask
leader to tell you company stories. Develop
compatible work styles and mutual expectations
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Sources of Leader Power

• Power may
• be granted by the organization
• stem from characteristics of an individual
• stem from ownership
• stem from control of resources
• be derived from capitalizing on opportunity
• stem from managing critical problems
• stem from being close to power

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Four Bases of Position Power

• Legitimate power is the lawful right to make a
  decision and expect compliance
• Reward power stems from having the authority to
  give employees rewards for compliance
• Coercive power is the power to punish for
  noncompliance
• Information power stems from formal control over
  the information people need

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Three Sources of Personal Power

• Expert power is the ability to influence others
  through specialized knowledge, skills, or
  abilities
• Referent power is the ability to influence others
  through desirable traits and characteristics
• Prestige power is power stemming from ones
  status and reputation

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Five Sources of Organizational Power

• Ownership power depends on
• how closely the leader is linked to shareholders
  and board members
• how much money he or she has invested in the firm
• Resource Dependence view
• - Organizational subunits or individuals who can
  provide key resources (human resources, money,
  customers and clients, technological inputs, and
  materials) accrue power

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Five Sources of Organizational Power

• 3. Opportunity power
• Power can be derived from being in the right
  place at the right time and taking the
  appropriate action
• 4. Controlling strategic contingencies
• Units best able to cope with the firms critical
  problems and uncertainties acquire relatively
  large amounts of power
• A subunit can acquire power by virtue of its
  centrality (the extent to which a units
  activities are linked into the system of
  organizational activities)

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Five Sources of Organizational Power

• 5. Power from being close to power
• The closer a person is to power, the greater
  power he or she exerts
• The higher a unit reports in a firms hierarchy,
  the more power it possesses

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Power and Use of Influence Tactics

• Power is the potential or capacity to influence
• Influence tactics are the specific means by which
  we try to affect the behavior of others in a
  particular direction
• A leader must have a power source to influence
  others through tactics.
• Depending on how they are used, the results of
  using influence tactics may be
• Resistance
• Compliance
• Commitment

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Typical Influence Tactics

• Leading by example
• Using rational persuasion
• Developing a reputation as a SME (subject matter
  expert)
• Exchanging favors and bargaining
• Getting network members to support your position
• Use legitimate requests

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Influence Tactics (contd)

• Making an inspirational appeal and emotional
  display
• Consulting
• Forming coalitions
• Being a team player
• Using personal magnetism or charisma

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Essentially Dishonest and Unethical Influence
Tactics
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Influence Tactic Effectiveness

• Most-effective tactics
• Rational persuasion
• Inspirational appeal
• Consultation

• Least effective tactics
• Pressure
• Coalition building
• Legitimating (because Im the boss)

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Sequencing of Influence Tactics

• Begin with the most positive, or least abrasive
  tactic
• If necessary, proceed to a stronger tactic
• Use a more abrasive tactic such as upward appeal
  only as a last resort
• Begin with low-cost, low-risk tactics
• If necessary, proceed to higher-cost, higher-
  risk tactics

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Influence Tactic Direction

• More position power an individual exerts over
  another, the less the need for caution in the use
  of influence tactics
• Downward Inspirational appeal, ingratiation,
  and pressure
• Lateral Personal appeal, exchange, and
  legitimating
• Upward rational persuasion
• Lateral and upward Coalitions

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Organizational Politics and Its Sources

• Definition Informal approaches to gaining power
  through means other than merit or luck
• Factors contributing to politics
• Pyramid-shaped organization structure
• Subjective standards of performance
• Environmental uncertainty and turbulence
• Emotional insecurity
• Machiavellian tendencies
• Disagreement over major issues

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Political Strategies

• Develop contacts with powerful people
• Control vital information
• Keep informed
• Control lines of communication
• Bring in outside experts that support your view
• Remember that everyone expects to be paid back
  (favor exchange)

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Political Strategies that Build Good Relationships

• Display loyalty
• Manage your impression
• Ask satisfied customers to contact your boss
• Be courteous, pleasant, and positive
• Ask for advice and feedback
• Thank others who have helped you
• Flatter others sensibly

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Potential Political Blunders

• Criticizing the boss in a public forum
• Bypassing the boss
• Declining an offer from top management
• Putting your foot in your mouth

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Unethical Political Tactics

• Back stabbing
• Embrace or demolish youre with me or youre
  against me
• Setting a person up for failure
• Divide and rule
• Playing territorial games

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Controlling Politics

• Be aware of its causes and techniques
• Avoid favoritism
• Set good examples at the top of the organization
• Encourage goal congruence
• Threaten to discuss questionable information in a
  public forum
• Hire people with integrity

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Dangers of Pursuit of Power

• Kramers genius-to-folly syndrome
• Swift and steady rise by brilliant, hard-working,
  and politically-adept individual followed by
  fatal miscalculations and recklessness
• Fostered by winner-take-all markets
• Aggressive risk taking
• Acting impulsively
• No introspection
• Breaking the rules that others are expected to
  obey (rules are for fools) rule breaking as
  act of creativity contempt for those who do
  follow rules

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Dangers of Pursuit of Power

• Genius-to-folly syndrome other causes
• Individuals make painful sacrifices and
  trade-offs to become successful and become
  extremely vulnerable to the rewards of power
  (being there is a lot more fun than getting
  thereJohn Dean)
• Trappings of power are sweet reward but feed
  dangerous illusions people have about themselves
• Overly positive view of their talents
• Become overconfident
• Become greedy for more
• Feel entitled to ever more power and its rewards
• Stop doing the things that got them to the top
  hard work, building relationships with others,
  listening for feedback
• Ingratiating behavior by others

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How to Avoid Being Trapped by Power

• Retain sense of proportion and high degree of
  self awareness
• Keep your life simplenurture humility
• Shine a light on your weaknesses acknowledge
  shortcomings and mistakes
• Do some reality checks
• Worry about the small stuffbe paranoid
• Reflect more, not less stop over-doing