Explore the difference between leadership and power. Learn how effective leaders use influence over control to build lasting organisational impact.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Tue 30th December 2025
Leadership and power represent fundamentally different approaches to influence: leadership inspires willing followership through trust and shared purpose, whilst power compels compliance through position, resources, or force. You can have power without being a leader, and you can lead without holding formal power—understanding this distinction determines whether your influence endures or evaporates when circumstances change.
Consider this crucial insight: in a world where titles and positions are often highlighted, it is crucial to remember that you can have power and still not be a leader. The executive who commands through positional authority alone discovers, often painfully, that compliance without commitment produces minimum effort rather than maximum contribution.
French and Raven's seminal research on power identified five distinct bases—coercive, reward, legitimate, expert, and referent. Notably, the most effective leadership combines referent power (influence through admiration) with expert power (influence through competence)—neither of which depends on organisational hierarchy. The implications for how you build and wield influence deserve careful examination.
Leadership is defined by the ability to influence others and get them to understand and follow the leader's vision through inspiration and trust. Power is the capacity of a person to influence others and alter their actions, beliefs, and behaviours through various means, including force or control.
The source of influence marks the critical distinction: leadership is earned through demonstrated capability and character; power can be granted through position or seized through coercion.
| Dimension | Leadership | Power |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Earned through trust and respect | Granted through position or seized |
| Compliance Basis | Willing followership | Required obedience |
| Sustainability | Endures beyond position | Often ends with position |
| Response Quality | Discretionary effort | Minimum compliance |
| Relationship Quality | Collaborative | Often adversarial |
| Direction | Invites participation | Commands compliance |
Leadership involves fostering a shared vision, motivating team members, and facilitating collaboration. Power, in contrast, involves exerting control—often regardless of whether followers share the vision or merely acquiesce to avoid consequences.
French and Raven's foundational research identified distinct bases of power that illuminate how influence operates in organisations. Understanding these types helps leaders choose how to build and exercise influence.
These forms derive from organisational role and are available primarily to those in formal authority positions:
Legitimate Power Legitimate power is a form of authority derived from a person's position or role within an organisation, such as a manager or CEO. This power is recognised and respected because it is granted through the official hierarchy. It exists because of title, not because of the person holding it.
Reward Power Reward power comes from a person's ability to offer others rewards for doing what they want them to do. Managers who can grant bonuses, promotions, or favourable assignments wield reward power. It motivates through anticipated benefit.
Coercive Power Coercive power comes from a person's ability to punish if expectations aren't met. Threats of termination, demotion, or unfavourable assignments represent coercive power. It motivates through fear of negative consequences.
These forms derive from individual characteristics and are available to anyone regardless of position:
Expert Power Expert power is the authority that comes from having specialised knowledge, skills, or expertise in a specific area. It is earned based on competence, experience, and proven ability to deliver results. Experts influence because others trust their judgement.
Referent Power Referent power is the influence a leader wields based on admiration, respect, or identification others have towards them. It derives from personal characteristics such as charisma, integrity, or the ability to inspire. People follow because they want to be associated with the leader.
Informational Power Added later to the original five, informational power comes from having control over information others need or want. Access to confidential data, knowledge of pending decisions, or awareness of opportunities creates influence.
| Power Type | Source | Leadership Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Legitimate | Organisational position | Foundation, but insufficient alone |
| Reward | Ability to provide benefits | Useful but creates transactional relationships |
| Coercive | Ability to impose consequences | Damages trust; use rarely if ever |
| Expert | Knowledge and competence | Core leadership asset |
| Referent | Personal character and charisma | Core leadership asset |
| Informational | Access to critical information | Can enhance or undermine trust |
Authority refers to the legal and formal right to give commands and make decisions within an organisational structure. Leadership extends beyond formal titles, relying on the capacity to inspire and guide others toward common objectives regardless of hierarchy.
The distinction lies in the source of influence—authority is granted, while leadership is earned. Authority comes from a title or hierarchy, but leadership is earned through trust and respect from teammates, regardless of what the organisational chart shows.
A newly appointed manager possesses authority immediately upon assuming the role. Leadership, however, must be cultivated through demonstrated competence, consistency, and genuine concern for followers' wellbeing.
| Characteristic | Authority | Leadership |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Granted by organisation | Earned from followers |
| Approach | Gives orders | Extends invitations |
| Relationship | Hierarchical | Collaborative |
| Durability | Ends with position | Persists beyond role |
| Follower Response | Compliance | Commitment |
Authority gives orders, but leadership extends invitations. Leaders work together with others, ask for opinions, care about different views, and team up with their people to reach goals.
The two concepts aren't mutually exclusive; effective management often involves a harmonious blend of both elements. A manager who wields authority wisely can create an environment where leadership flourishes. The executive who has both formal authority and earned leadership capability operates with maximum influence.
Yes—and this distinction reveals why some powerful individuals fail whilst others with less formal power succeed brilliantly. One does not need to be in a position of leadership to have power—a king and a secretary both have different kinds of power.
Consider these scenarios:
The Inherited Executive A CEO's child assumes leadership through family ownership. They possess legitimate power, reward power, and coercive power immediately. Whether they develop leadership—the ability to inspire genuine followership—depends on entirely different factors.
The Technical Specialist A database administrator controls critical systems. Their informational and expert power gives them significant organisational influence. Whether they're leaders depends on how they use that power—to enable others or to create dependence.
The Political Operator Some individuals accumulate power through relationships, information control, and political manoeuvring without any leadership capability. They can block initiatives, influence decisions, and protect turf—but they don't inspire anyone.
Power without leadership typically produces:
Yes—and some of the most effective leadership occurs precisely in the absence of formal authority. Leadership requires influence, but influence doesn't require position. The practice of leading without authority has become increasingly important in matrix organisations, cross-functional teams, and networked environments.
Leadership without formal power relies on:
Expertise and Credibility Demonstrated competence creates expert power that transcends hierarchy. The engineer whose technical judgement colleagues trust influences decisions regardless of title.
Relationship Building Referent power—influence through personal connection—develops through genuine interest in others, consistent reliability, and authentic character.
Vision and Purpose Compelling articulation of meaningful objectives attracts followers who share the vision. People volunteer discretionary effort toward purposes that matter to them.
Coalition Development Effective influence often requires building alliances. The leader without position must persuade multiple stakeholders, creating momentum that achieves what authority might have commanded.
At a basic level, leaders need power—they need the power to influence, to develop, and to enable people. However, this isn't the same as having authority and rank. The most effective leaders deliberately cultivate influence whilst minimising reliance on control.
Control-based approaches:
Influence-based approaches:
Leadership requires power in order to be effective. However, power does not depend on leadership. The relationship is asymmetric: you can have power without leadership, but you cannot have effective leadership without some form of power—whether positional or personal.
The question isn't whether leaders need power but what kinds of power they should cultivate. Research consistently indicates that expert power combined with referent power produces the most effective and sustainable leadership.
Building influence independent of position requires deliberate investment in personal power bases whilst using positional power wisely when available.
When you do have authority:
| Power Development Strategy | Action |
|---|---|
| Expert power | Continuous learning, result delivery |
| Referent power | Integrity, genuine care, consistency |
| Informational power | Transparent sharing, not hoarding |
| Reward power | Fair recognition, not manipulation |
| Legitimate power | Enable others, not enforce compliance |
Power misuse occurs when leaders rely on position or coercion rather than earning genuine followership. The consequences damage both organisations and the power-holders themselves.
Decreased Performance Coercive environments produce minimum compliance. Discretionary effort—the extra contribution that distinguishes excellent from adequate performance—disappears.
Reduced Innovation Fear of punishment stifles risk-taking. People avoid proposing novel ideas that might fail, depriving organisations of creative solutions.
Information Distortion Bad news stops flowing upward when messengers face punishment. Leaders become isolated from reality precisely when they most need accurate information.
Talent Loss High performers have options. When leadership relies on control rather than inspiration, the best people depart for healthier environments.
Isolation Reliance on positional power prevents genuine relationships. The power-holder becomes surrounded by compliance without connection.
Fragility Power based solely on position ends when the position ends. Leaders who haven't built personal power face sudden irrelevance.
Legacy Erosion Achievements built through coercion don't survive the transition to new leadership. The power-holder's legacy evaporates quickly.
Leadership is the ability to influence others through inspiration, trust, and shared purpose—people follow because they want to. Power is the capacity to influence others through position, resources, or force—people comply because they must. Leadership is earned through demonstrated capability and character; power can be granted through position or seized through coercion. Effective leadership requires power, but power doesn't require leadership.
Yes—power and leadership are distinct concepts. A manager has legitimate power through their position regardless of leadership capability. A technical specialist has expert power through their knowledge. A political operator may accumulate informational power. However, power without leadership typically produces minimum compliance rather than genuine commitment, and influence evaporates when the power source disappears.
French and Raven identified five power bases: legitimate (position-based authority), reward (ability to provide benefits), coercive (ability to impose consequences), expert (specialised knowledge and competence), and referent (personal charisma and admiration). Later research added informational power (control over needed information). Expert and referent power—the "personal powers"—create the most effective leadership foundation.
Referent power—influence based on admiration, respect, and identification—creates willing followership rather than mere compliance. It derives from personal characteristics like integrity, charisma, and genuine care for others. Combined with expert power, it forms the foundation of effective leadership. Unlike positional power, referent power persists beyond formal roles and generates discretionary effort that coercive approaches cannot produce.
Lead without authority by developing expert power through demonstrated competence, building referent power through integrity and genuine relationships, articulating compelling visions that attract voluntary participation, and creating coalitions of stakeholders who share your objectives. Focus on influence through value creation rather than control through position. Many of the most effective organisational contributions come from those leading without formal authority.
Effective leadership requires some form of power—the ability to influence others. However, that power need not be positional. Expert power (from competence) and referent power (from character) enable leadership without formal authority. The question isn't whether leaders need power but what kinds of power serve leadership best. Personal powers create more sustainable influence than positional powers.
Power misuse produces decreased performance (minimum compliance instead of discretionary effort), reduced innovation (fear stifles risk-taking), information distortion (bad news stops flowing upward), and talent loss (high performers depart). For the power-holder personally, misuse creates isolation, fragility when position changes, and legacy erosion. Coercive power damages trust permanently and should be used rarely if ever.
The distinction between leadership and power illuminates what creates lasting organisational impact. Power that depends solely on position expires with the position. Leadership built on expertise and character persists beyond any single role.
The most effective executives recognise that positional power provides a platform, not a destination. They use legitimate authority to create opportunities for others, not to enforce compliance. They develop expert power through continuous learning and demonstrated results. They build referent power through integrity, genuine care, and consistent behaviour.
In the end, the question isn't whether you have power—most people in organisations have some form of influence. The question is whether you're using that power in ways that develop your leadership or in ways that undermine it. Choose the former, and your influence will extend far beyond any title you hold. Choose the latter, and you'll discover that power without leadership is a castle built on sand.