Whether through innate recognition, or formal introduction, all leaders are familiar with the *Five Bases of Power (*John French; Bertram Raven, 1959):
- Coercive – The power to take
- Reward – The power to give
- Expert – The power of knowledge
- Legitimate – The power bestowed
- Referent – The power granted by others
Successful leaders understand the base(s) from which they operate, and are able to affirmatively answer that it is to the positive development of those they lead.
– RdM