in society the role of leader ship and power

Leadership and Power
Power is related to but different from leadership. It is related to leadership because it is an
integral part of the ability to influence others. Power is defined as the potential or capacity to influence others to bring about desired outcomes. We have influence when we can
affect others’ beliefs, attitudes, and behavior. While there are different kinds of power, in
organizations, we consider two kinds of power—position power and personal power.
Position power is that power that comes from holding a particular office, position, or rank
in an organization (Daft, 2005). A university president has more power than a dean of a
business school, but they both have formal power.
Personal power is the capacity to influence that comes from being viewed as knowledgeable and likable by followers. It is power that derives from the interpersonal relationships that leaders develop with followers (Yukl, 2006). We would argue that when
leaders have both position and personal power, they should use personal power a vast
majority of the time. Overuse of position power may erode the ability of a leader to influence people. Of course, it is important to know when it is most appropriate to use position
power and to be able and willing to use it (Daft, 2005).
Power can be two-faced. One face is the use of power within an organization to
achieve one’s personal goals to the detriment of others in the organization. The other face
is that power that works to achieve the collective goals of all members of the organization,
sometimes even at the expense of the leader’s personal goals.