Styles of Power

French and Raven (1959) identified five styles of power which a leader may possess to have influence over their followers.  These  are reward, coercive, legitimate, referent and expert power.

Legimate Power - This type of power is limited to the position you hold.  This is seen as an unstable source of power as once the position has been lost, so has the power.

Reward Power - When control of rewards such as promotion and salary is available. However if rewards are given too frequently, the power can be reduced.

Coercive power - Threats and punishment can be used to coerce and as such can cause unease in the team, creating a cold and calculated environment.

Expert Power - Skills to be able to understand the situation and develop a suitable solution is needed to achieve this power.  When you show your ability to complete tasks, team members will respect what you say and turn to you when decisions need to be made.

Referent Power - This is seen as being charismatic and can influence people's decisions. This power carries responsibility and can easily be abused.

This theory has been applied to both Dolly and Lotso.