Personal Power, Influence Tactics, and Management by Objectives

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Personal Power, Influence Tactics, and Management by Objectives

Leadership and Organizational Behavior · Chapter 2: Leadership Dynamics and Power in OrganizationsSection 2.4 · lesson 9 of 1229 min · free with a free account

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In this lesson

The power you take with you, and the mechanisms that put it to work.

  • Distinguish expert from referent power
  • Identify the vulnerability in each
  • Match influence tactics to situations
  • Run Management by Objectives as alignment, not paperwork

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Leadership Dynamics and Power in Organizations

Personal Power, Influence Tactics, and MBO

The last subchapter covered the power an organization hands you. This one covers the power you have to earn. It has a property the positional kind does not. You keep it when you change jobs. We will look at the two personal bases, expert and referent. Then at influence tactics, which are how any power gets used. And then at Management by Objectives, which puts the whole thing to work. Watch for one theme as we go. Personal power takes years to build and can be lost quickly. That asymmetry is what makes it worth protecting.

Portable Power

Earned, Not Granted

Positional power is granted by the organization. Personal power is earned, and it is earned in two ways. Through demonstrated expertise, and through the quality of relationships you build. Now the property that changes everything about it. Personal power is portable. It travels with the individual, regardless of their formal role. That is precisely what positional power cannot do. French and Raven identify two forms, expert and referent. We also need the mechanism that turns capacity into behavior. Those are influence tactics. And then a framework that aligns all of it with organizational goals.

Expert Power

Compliance Because the Guidance Is Sound

Expert power comes from specialized knowledge, skills or experience. Specifically, the kind that others value and cannot easily replicate. Notice why followers comply with it. They believe the expertise is genuine, and relevant to what they face. So they comply not because they are required to. They comply because they trust the guidance is substantively sound. This matters most in knowledge-intensive organizations. There, the strategically relevant capabilities are distributed through the workforce. They are not concentrated at the top of the hierarchy. So technical leads and specialist contributors shape major decisions. They do it while holding relatively modest formal authority. Which is an argument for cultivating expert power at every level.

Its Vulnerability

Domain-Specific, and Perishable

Expert power has a specific vulnerability, and it has two halves. The first half is that it is domain-specific. High expert authority in a technical specialization does not transfer. Outside that domain, a leader's influence can be surprisingly limited. The second half is that expertise must remain current. Leaders who stop updating as their domain evolves watch expert power erode. And here is what makes the combination dangerous. Their formal position stays exactly the same throughout. Positional power gives no signal that expert power has expired. So a leader can hold every prerogative of the role. And be, to the people actually doing the work, no longer worth consulting. Expert power has a maintenance cost, and it is paid in learning.

Referent Power

Influence Through Identification

Referent power is the most personally rooted of all the bases. It derives from followers' admiration for a leader. Or from identification with them, or a desire to associate with them. When followers see someone as a role model, something specific happens. They become motivated to behave consistently with that leader's expectations. Not because of consequences, but because of who is asking. Referent power is what underpins charismatic leadership. And it is the least dependent on hierarchy of any base in the taxonomy. It is built in ordinary ways, which is why it takes so long. Mentoring. Advocating for people. Listening actively. And modeling the values you claim to hold. None of those can be delegated, and none can be announced.

Authenticity

The Distinction That Decides Durability

There is a distinction inside referent power that decides its durability. Authentic referent power is built through consistent ethical conduct. And through genuine investment in relationships over time. It generates durable, values-aligned influence. Superficial charm and image management can look identical at first. That version is fragile. It collapses rapidly once the gap between image and reality becomes apparent. And the collapse is usually sudden rather than gradual. There is a reason organizations should want this held widely. When leaders at every level develop referent power, the environment changes. Influence becomes less dependent on hierarchy. And more responsive to values-based guidance.

Influence Tactics

Turning Capacity Into Action

Power is a capacity. On its own it does nothing. Influence tactics are the mechanisms that activate it. Research identifies a spectrum of them. It runs from highly rational and consultative approaches to pressure-based ones. Rational persuasion means presenting logical arguments and evidence. It is the most broadly applicable, and the best regarded. It respects follower autonomy, which is what makes it work. That creates conditions for genuine commitment, not superficial compliance. Consultation means engaging others in developing the decision or plan. That increases ownership, and the quality of implementation. Inspirational appeal connects a request to values, ideals or aspirations. It generates emotional engagement alongside cognitive understanding. And no tactic is universally best. Context, relationship and request all matter.

The Spectrum

Six Tactics and Their Conditions

Put the full spectrum in front of you. Rational persuasion runs on logic, data and reasoned argument. Use it when the decision requires understanding and commitment. Consultation runs on involving others in planning. Use it when buy-in and implementation quality matter. Inspirational appeal runs on values and aspirations. Use it when you need effort above the baseline. Personal appeal leverages friendship or loyalty. Use it when asking for a favor or discretionary effort. Coalition building enlists the support of others. Use it to overcome organizational resistance. And pressure means demands, threats or persistent reminders. Read its condition carefully. Enforcing non-negotiable standards, only.

MBO

Four Stages of Objective Alignment

Now a framework that puts personal power to organizational use. Management by Objectives, originally articulated by Peter Drucker. It aligns individual goal-setting with organizational strategy. The premise is that clarity of objectives is a prerequisite for high performance. Clarity at the organizational, departmental and individual level alike. The process runs in four stages. First, senior leadership establishes objectives aligned with strategic priorities. Second, those objectives cascade through the hierarchy. Each level translates the higher goals into specific, measurable objectives. Third, employees and their managers collaboratively set personal objectives. Those contribute directly to the unit's goals. Fourth, progress is reviewed periodically, and objectives adjusted as circumstances change. Feedback runs continuously through that fourth stage, not once a year.

Power And MBO

Where Personal Power Enters

Management by Objectives connects to both forms of personal power. And it needs each of them for a different reason. Expert power does its work in the objective-setting itself. Leaders with real expertise guide goals with technically informed judgment. Judgment about what is achievable, and what is strategically meaningful. Without that, targets get set by wishful arithmetic. Referent power does its work in the commitment stage. Leaders followers admire can generate genuine commitment to hard objectives. The same objectives would be resisted if proposed by someone they do not trust. That is worth stating plainly. A stretch goal is never evaluated on its own terms. Followers read it through their assessment of the person setting it.

Failure Mode

Alignment Tool or Compliance Exercise

Finally, the failure mode, because it is extremely common. Organizations treat this as a bureaucratic compliance exercise. Rather than as a genuine alignment tool. The forms get completed, objectives get filed, and nothing about behavior changes. Three practices separate the real version from the paperwork version. Invest in meaningful dialogue about objectives, exploring the rationale behind them. Do not simply transmit a number down the hierarchy. Negotiate realistic stretch goals, rather than assigning them. And maintain ongoing feedback instead of a single annual review. Done that way, the framework channels personal power into organizational results. Which is the thread through this entire subchapter. Capacity earned through expertise and relationship, converted by tactic, aligned by process.

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Why people act the way they do at workLeadership and Organizational Behavior explains how individuals, groups and leaders behave inside organizations: motivation, attitudes, teams, power, conflict, culture and change. It is a core course in business administration, management and human resources programs.
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Where the credit goes

Universities that work with NCCRS

Leadership and Organizational Behavior carries a NCCRS credit recommendation. These universities work with NCCRS; some are UPI Study's signed partners. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

Thomas Edison State UniversityThomas Edison State UniversitySigned partnerUniversity of the PeopleUniversity of the PeopleSigned partnerCharter Oak State CollegeCharter Oak State CollegeSigned partnerStrayer UniversityStrayer UniversitySigned partnerColumbia Southern UniversityColumbia Southern UniversitySigned partnerIndiana TechIndiana TechSigned partnerPenn StatePenn StateWorks with NCCRSSouthern New Hampshire UniversitySouthern New Hampshire UniversityWorks with NCCRSSUNYSUNYWorks with NCCRS +many more cooperating universitiesFind my college →

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FAQ

Questions students ask us

About Personal Power, Influence Tactics, and Management by Objectives

What is expert power?
Expert power is influence that comes from specialized knowledge, skills, or experience that others value and cannot easily replicate. People follow the expert because they trust the guidance is sound, not because they must. It matters most in knowledge-intensive organizations, where specialists can shape major decisions with little formal authority. Expert power is limited to its domain and erodes if the person's knowledge stops staying current.
What is referent power?
Referent power is influence based on followers' admiration of, identification with, or desire to associate with a leader. It underpins charismatic leadership and depends less on hierarchy than any other power base. It is built slowly through mentoring, advocating for people, listening actively, and modeling one's stated values. Referent power built on consistent ethical conduct lasts, while power built on image management tends to collapse suddenly once the gap shows.
What are the most effective influence tactics in the workplace?
Rational persuasion, which uses logic and evidence, is the most broadly applicable influence tactic because it respects the other person's autonomy and builds genuine commitment. Consultation increases ownership by involving others in planning, and inspirational appeal links a request to shared values. Other tactics include personal appeal, coalition building, and pressure, which is best reserved for enforcing non-negotiable standards. No single tactic is best in every situation.
What is Management by Objectives?
Management by Objectives, or MBO, is a framework articulated by Peter Drucker that aligns individual goals with organizational strategy. Senior leaders set strategic objectives, which cascade down the hierarchy into specific, measurable goals. Employees and managers then set personal objectives together, and progress is reviewed and adjusted with ongoing feedback. MBO fails when it becomes a paperwork exercise in which goals are assigned rather than discussed and negotiated.

About the Leadership and Organizational Behavior course

How many college credits is Leadership and Organizational Behavior?
Leadership and Organizational Behavior (Business 206) carries a NCCRS credit recommendation for 3 semester credits. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
How much does Leadership and Organizational Behavior cost and what is included?
$250, paid once, with lifetime access: all 122 video lessons, a practice quiz after each, the graded work and final exam, and an official transcript when you finish. Students who want several courses choose UPI Study PRO instead.
Which universities accept UPI Study credits?
UPI Study has signed partner agreements with universities such as Thomas Edison State University, University of the People and Charter Oak State College, and works with universities such as Penn State, SNHU and SUNY. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. Use "Find my college" on this page to check yours.
How long does Leadership and Organizational Behavior take?
It is self-paced with no deadlines. The 122 lessons total about 21 hours of video; most students add reading and practice time and finish in a few weeks to a few months, on their own schedule.
How are the exams done?
Quizzes and assignments are online in the course. The final exam is taken online with proctoring; a person on the UPI Study team checks assignments, usually within two days.
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