Task
Select any one of the power types used by you or most familiar to you and briefly describe its pros and cons for a project manager. The capability or ability to act in specific ways or impose a leader’s will on others is defined as power (Lunenburg, 2012). These can be attained by wo ways, internally and externally. Internally refers to the natural quality of leaders that is nurtured and developed as they mature. Whereas, someone with a designated title or position that gives them influence and authority over others is meant by externally. In my opinion, true power is a combination of both of these regardless of their position in the organization.
Understanding the five categories of power, such as legitimate power, reward power, expert power, referent power, and coercive power, is critical to becoming an effective leader (Silva, 2015). In my opinion, expert power is the most effective and influential power, which helps to produce a great consequence and a positive outcome.
The project manager in my work filed, has expert power because of his deep technical knowledge and vast experience in his field of expertise. One of the most significant benefits of having expert power is that it gives him credibility, and others trust and respect for his opinion. Furthermore, he takes advantage of each and every opportunity that come his way to further grow and impart his knowledge, as well as to build up and demonstrate his expertise. As a result, it gives him the potential to influence coworkers at all levels of the organization. Furthermore, he is generous with his expertise, makes him different and unique and seeks for ways to help his coworkers flourish as well. The significant benefits of expert power are that it encourages and develops the team's capabilities, as well as enhancing the manager's personal reputation, which can lead to increased influence at work.
However, a true expert understands that in order to preserve credibility, they must continue to expand their knowledge and skills. To be more specific, the manager's expertise should be kept up to date with changes and updates in information. Another drawback of expert power is that it weakens the more the leader make use of it for multiple times (Hogg, 2003). I my opinion, it can only be avoided by increasing leader’s competence by ongoing study so that they have more information than their teammates, even after sharing with them.
