Understanding the different ways in which power can be exercised is best accomplished by looking first at the various sources of power. In their seminal work on power, French and Raven identified five major types: expert power, reward power, coercive power, legitimate power, and referent power.11 Most of these are relatively self-evident in nature:

Expert power: derived from having unique, in-depth information about a subject.

Reward power: derived by being able to reward others for doing what needs to be done.

Coercive power: derived by being able to punish others for not doing what needs to be done.

Legitimate power: derived from holding an office or formal title in some organization and using the powers that are associated with that office (e.g., a vice president or director).

Referent power: derived from the respect or admiration one commands because of attributes like personality, integrity, interpersonal style, and the like. A is said to have referent power over B to the extent that B identifies with or wants to be closely associated with A.