Read each of the scenarios (below) and choose one of the five sources of power to resolve the challenge in each scenario.

Five Sources of Power Worksheet Five Sources of power:

1. Legitimate—Leader draws authority from a position/

title.

2. Reward—Leader controls valued outcomes like pay raises.

3. Coercive—Leader can doll out punishments.

4. Referent—Leader influences through appealing personal characteristics.

5. Expert—Leader possesses experience and knowledge that is valued.

Scenario 1:

Assume you’re a supervisor of a technical support department at a website hosting company. You want your staff to complete a large project within the next two months.

Usually, such a project would take about three months to accomplish. To persuade your staff to rise to this challenge, you offer each of them three additional paid vacation days.

Your staff enjoys taking three-day weekends, so the incentive should motivate them to finish the project within the shorter time frame.

As the supervisor, you are using _____ power to motivate your staff.

Scenario 2:

Assume you work at a local restaurant. As a part-time employee working your way through college, you are not interested in becoming a manager. Even so, sometimes you wish you were in charge. Just yesterday, your manager asked if you would be willing to work two extra days per week for the next month. After you explained that you could work only your usual three days per week due to college and other commitments, your boss threatened to cut your hours indefinitely. Given how much you need the money, you grudgingly agreed to work the two extra days per week.

Your manager is using _____ power to persuade you to work the two extra days per week.

Scenario 3:

Assume you were recently promoted to assistant manager of the bank in your hometown. You are friends with the employees who now report to you. You notice that they still treat you like a buddy and do not seem to respect you in your new role. You decide that it will be in everyone’s best interest if you assert yourself by reminding them that you are now their manager (and not their buddy). This is a challenging task, but you feel the need to have their respect now that you are the manager.

You are using _____ power to encourage employees to respect you in your new role as assistant manager.

Scenario 4:

Assume you are an experienced marketer of outdoor adventure trips. You recently changed jobs. While working for your previous employer, Good Time Adventures, you created several successful marketing programs that resulted in a 30 percent increase in sales over a three-year period. Now that you recently joined Eco Tours & Adventures, none of your coworkers knows the extent of your marketing knowledge. Your goal is to increase your power within the company. You decide to develop a really impactful and creative marketing campaign unlike any used by Eco Tours & Adventures in the past.

You are using _____ power to increase your influence at Eco Tours & Adventures.

Scenario 5:

Assume you are a salesperson and just found out that your organization’s largest client is thinking about moving its business to one of your competitors. If this happens, you will lose about 25 percent of your commission this year, not to mention the loss of revenue to your company. You decide to rush over to see your contact at the client company. You spend two hours listening to why the client might leave and ask repeatedly what your company can do to make things right. You are nervous, but still use your charm and sense of humor to convince your contact that you and your company deserve one more chance. Your contact agrees to get you a meeting with the CEO and to put in a good word for your company. She says she is doing this because she likes you (professionally)

and doesn’t want to see you lose the business.

You are using _____ power to convince your contact that you and your company deserve another chance.