Referent Power: What and How it works and Why is needed?

Table of Contents

1. 1. 1. Introduction
      2. What is Referent Power?
      3. Benefits of Referent Power in Leadership
      4. Methods to Adopt Referent Power
      5. Final Thoughts

In 1959 social psychologists French and Raven found five types of powers in organizational behavior. Coercive, Reward, Legitimate, Expert, and Referent power are five different powers. They divided these five power types into formal and personal powers. Coercive, reward, and legitimate are formal powers whereas Referent and Expert powers fall into the category of personal powers.

Leadership requires different types of powers and an ideal leader knows which power to use in which situation. Referent power which relies on trust and democracy is the most demanding power in today’s successful leaders. This power is earned and not imposed, also acquiring this power is not a quick and easy procedure.

Since it is the most demanding power of leadership presently, people are more interested in knowing referent power meaning, usage, advantages, and methods to adopt this power.

In this blog, we will learn about referent expert power meaning, its benefits in leadership. Also, we will elaborate on different methods to adopt such leadership behaviors.

What is Referent Power?

Referent power is a personal quality that can inspire others, for instance, a team leader’s behavior and skills that motivate team members.

Leaders with in-built referent powers are in demand presently as this leadership power reduces anxiety levels in employees, reduces counterproductive behavior in them, and promotes open communication within the organizations. 

Today, most of the organizations are facing the problem of employee retention. The most prominent reason for employee resignation is because of disliked managers. So, for better employee retention referent power is a must-have leadership quality.

Methods to Adopt Referent Power

Let us find the methods to adopt referent power to lead at the workplace below:

Be a Good Listener

A manager/ team leader doesn’t only have to instruct their team members about tasks to perform and show guidance to follow. A true leader helps them accomplish their goals as well. Leaders with referent powers will utilize every opportunity to listen to their employees, both work-related issues and growth opportunities.

Leaders need to be good listeners and show that their team members’ perspectives matter to them. The leaders who are good listeners will maintain eye contact with the speakers, show gestures that they are interested in listening, ask follow-up questions, be the least judgemental, and give suggestions only when the speaker has finished talking.

Trust More, Micromanage Less

To have the best results from your employees, leaders must stop micromanaging them immediately. Studies have shown that employees only take ownership of their work and give their best when they are least micromanaged and motivated to experiment and use their talent. Leaders who trust their employees get the best deliveries from their employees.

Leaders with referent power believe in empowering their employees rather than ruling them. Such leaders help and guide their team members when needed but do not monitor them at every step they take. They are more concerned about results and not the small actions of employees during a project. This reduces stress within organizations and fosters accountability and motivation for people to do their best.

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Be a Leader of Action and not a Leader of Words

Leading by example is a quality of such leaders. This quality helps leaders to gain respect and admiration from their followers. The best way to ask your team members to follow anything is by starting to do it yourself first. When your followers see you acting rather than just speaking, they show you respect without demanding.

Develop More Collaboration with Your Team

One cannot be a good leader until one develops strong collaborative relationships with their teams. Good leaders prosper only when they develop an environment of collaboration for their team where everyone can freely share their thoughts and ideas. The more collaborative the team is, the more employee engagement and sense of ownership of work are promoted.

An effective collaboration helps minimize the need for bureaucratic processes in organizations and improves workflow between teams and departments.

Always Welcome the Team’s Ideas and Feedback

Even if you are the most creative leader, you can not guarantee a fresh and ideal idea every time. So, what to do? 

Good leaders welcome their team members’ ideas for a win-win situation. They do not hesitate to seek ideas from their subordinates. They prioritize their teammates’ opinions and suggestions and make a difference.

Also, leaders showcasing referent powers ask for regular feedback from their team members on policies and functioning.

Be Appreciative and Compliment Team Regularly

Many leaders do not acknowledge their team members’ efforts or take them for granted. Worse than this, some leaders also take credit for their team members’ work. But, such leaders do not prosper for longer. 

Good leaders will always acknowledge their employees’ hard work and make referent power an integral part of management. They do not step back from constantly praising their team members.

Take Interest in Your Employees

Leaders who take reasonable interest in their employees’ personal lives showcase that they are concerned about them and their struggles outside of work. To promote this, leaders conduct regular team-building activities to help employees bond with them and with each other.

Stand for your Team

Good leaders never play blame games. They take responsibility for their team’s work. They stand for their team members and back them during hard times. Although these are not easy situations, they give their best to support their teammates. Later, they evaluate the situation objectively and find errors that can be avoided in the future.