Les six bases de pouvoir de John French et Bertram Raven et leur rôle dans le leadership

Le leadership ne repose pas uniquement sur un titre ou une fonction. French and Raven’s Forms of Power are a good framework for considering power and influence in leaders, and more broadly in the world of work. Social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven studied this phenomenon more than half a century ago.

It is said that you cannot be a leader if you don’t have followers. This thought led academics during the last century to want to understand why people will let themselves be led by certain leaders and not by others. French and Raven’s concept does not offer a view on the sort of leadership one should offer. French and Raven’s concept does not offer a view on the sort of leadership one should offer.

Origine du modèle et philosophie générale

In 1959, social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven identified five bases of power: Legitimate. Reward. Expert. Referent. Coercive. And, six years later, added an extra power base: 6. Informational. After the model was first released, more research was conducted, and some experts believe that a sixth source of power-information power-also exists. French and Raven's five bases of power help explain how people attain power and how they are able to influence others.

French and Raven's bases of power is a model that helps explain sources of power in society. Two psychologists developed it in the 1950s. Through social communication studies, it has been theorized that leadership and power are closely linked. It has been further presumed that different forms of power affect one's leadership and success.

Typologie générale: pouvoir positionnel et pouvoir personnel

We can crudely think of leadership as the ability to get other people to do the things that you want them to do. Each of French and Raven’s Forms of Power needs to be gained before they can be used, and the different forms of power are come by in different ways. In addition, each has distinct characteristics, distinct requirements and different levels of effectiveness with different people.

Lire aussi: Guide des 5 niveaux de leadership de John Maxwell

• Positional Power: Reward Power; Coercive Power; Legitimate Power; Informational Power.
• Personal Power: Expert Power; Referent Power.

It is reasonable to suggest that decades ago most organisational leaders relied on Positional Power. However, there is more questioning of authority by followers in the 21st century and an impressive job title doesn’t guarantee power. The positional powers of coercion, reward, legitimacy and information encourage people to reach a minimum level of delivery, but don’t really encourage people to take ownership of what they are doing and do more than the minimum.

Les six bases de pouvoir: définitions, mécanismes et effets

1) Pouvoir légitime

Legitimate power is power derived from a position or a set of formal relationships. A president, prime minister or monarch has legitimate power. So does a CEO, a religious minister, or a fire chief. Electoral mandates, social hierarchies, cultural norms, and organizational structure all provide the basis for legitimate power.

This type of power, however, can be unpredictable and unstable. If you lose the title or position, your legitimate power can instantly disappear, because people were influenced by the position you held rather than by you. Also, the scope of your power is limited to situations that others believe you have a right to control.

Le grade, le niveau hiérarchique supérieur confère souvent ce pouvoir. L’élection donne aussi ce pouvoir à l’élu. Dans sa zone d’influence, l’individu a le droit de dicter des ordres et de faire respecter ses instructions à ses subordonnés, qui sont tenus de les appliquer dans le cadre de leur mission ou de leur contrat de travail.

2) Pouvoir de récompense

Reward Power - Power is based on the idea that the leader can and will grant valuable rewards if followers carry out his or her instructions. People in power are often able to give out rewards. Raises, promotions, desirable assignments, training opportunities, and simple compliments - these are all examples of rewards controlled by people "in power."

Lire aussi: John Maxwell et la définition du leadership

The problem with this power base is that it may not be as strong as it first seems. This source of power is also problematic, and can be abused. What’s more, it can cause dissatisfaction or resentment among the people it's applied to. Reward generally only influences people work to the point at which a reward has been earned, after which there is no ongoing incentive.

Un pouvoir de récompense. Le subordonné se soumet car il espère que son obéissance lui vaudra des avantages. Le système de récompense et de punition engendre des effets pervers. Si un responsable récompense une personne au détriment des autres, il crée inévitablement des jalousies et des frustrations. Cette compétition a aussi pour conséquence de diminuer la performance globale du groupe.

3) Pouvoir de coercition

Coercion involves forcing someone to do something against their will. This is usually achieved by being able to punish someone for non-compliance. Coercion can only ever achieve compliance in others, it can never lead them to exceed a minimum delivery level. It also usually causes resentment and if used too much will cause people to leave.

Threats and punishment are common coercive tools. You use coercive power when you imply or threaten that someone will be fired, demoted or denied privileges. You may sometimes need to punish people as a last resort but if you use coercive power too much, people will leave.

Un pouvoir de coercition. Un responsable oblige son subordonné à accomplir certaines tâches et à adopter des comportements conformes à sa façon de voir les choses. La pratique des punitions et des récompenses, en dehors du fait qu’elle peut infantiliser les professionnels, n’a que peu d’effet sur la performance.

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4) Pouvoir d’expertise

Expert power derives from an individual’s expertise. Expert power is derived purely from personal traits and is wholly independent of a position in an organisation. When you have knowledge and skills that enable you to understand a situation, suggest solutions, use solid judgment, and generally outperform others, people will listen to you, trust you, and respect what you say.

Expert power is based on what one knows, experience, and special skills or talents. As a consequence of the expert power or knowledge, a leader is able to convince their subordinates to trust them. The expertise does not have to be genuine - it is the perception of expertise that provides the power base.

Un pouvoir d’expertise. Le pouvoir d’expert repose sur la maîtrise d’un domaine et les compétences reconnues par les autres.

5) Pouvoir de référence

Referent power is based on being liked and respected as an individual. Referent power comes from one person liking and respecting another, and identifying with them in some way. In a workplace, a person with referent power often makes everyone feel good, so he tends to have a lot of influence.

Le pouvoir de référence est basé sur le charisme, la confiance et le respect qu’un leader inspire. Les personnes vers lesquelles nous nous sentons attirés et auxquelles nous nous identifions ont un "pouvoir de référence". Le pouvoir de référence est une qualité détenue par une personne que l'on trouve admirable. En raison de leur sympathie, ils ont le pouvoir de nous influencer positivement et d'influencer nos actions.

Le monde d'aujourd'hui ressemble à une version agrandie de Times Square. Si vous regardez devant vous, vous verrez un panneau d'affichage d'une célébrité populaire annonçant la dernière version d'une Honda Civic. Baissez les yeux sur votre téléphone, et votre influenceur Instagram préféré vient de publier une photo, en étiquetant le commerce local chic où il a acheté sa tenue. Social media influencers have referent power.

6) Pouvoir informationnel

Informational power is based on the ability to control the flow of information that is needed to get things done. In the modern economy, information is a particularly potent form of power. The power derives not from the information itself but from having access to it, and from being in a position to share, withhold, manipulate, distort, or conceal it.

Informational influence results in cognition and acceptance by the target of influence. Information power comes as a result of possessing knowledge that others need or want. In the age of Information technology, information power is increasingly relevant as an abundance of information is readily available.

Efficacité comparative des bases de pouvoir

The different sources of power are not all equal. Those who want to influence others must assess the disadvantages and benefits of each type of power. The positional powers of coercion, reward, legitimacy and information encourage people to reach a minimum level of delivery, but don’t really encourage people to take ownership of what they are doing and do more than the minimum.

Referent power, which results in other people wanting to please you for who you are as an individual, is the best form of power for getting people to really own what they’re doing and try and produce great outcomes. Expert and Referent power are very effective when combined and can form the basis of excellent leadership.

Relying on these positional forms of power alone can result in a cold, technocratic, impoverished style of leadership. It is reasonable to suggest that decades ago most organisational leaders relied on Positional Power. However, there is more questioning of authority by followers in the 21st century and an impressive job title doesn’t guarantee power.

Scénarios et ressentis au travail

Think of a leader you've known who relied on their ability to discipline or reward people to get things done. Then, remind yourself of a leader who was a renowned expert in their field, or who you really admired for their integrity. How did it feel to work for these leaders, and which one got the best from you? The way a leader behaves toward you and how effectively you work as a result can both depend on the source of their power.

Pouvoir, cohésion et conflits dans les groupes

Lorsque ces relations de pouvoirs sont acceptées de part et d’autre, il n’y a pas de risque de conflit entre l’individu qui détient du pouvoir et son subordonné qui l’accepte. Alors quand naît un conflit interpersonnel ? On peut même assurer que si un responsable, en dehors de son pouvoir légitime qui est difficilement contestable, ne possède que ces deux premiers pouvoirs, il sera fortement exposé à des risques de conflits.

Dans ces groupes aux structures informelles et souples, les leaders vont peu à peu affirmer leur ascendant sur les suiveurs. La recherche de leadership est parfois accompagnée de conflits de personnes vigoureux. Cette lutte pour le leadership diminue inévitablement la cohésion dans le groupe.

Cette compétition nous amène à souligner l’importance de la distribution des rôles dans une structure. Dans une structure relativement stable, les rôles sont bien connus et chacun à des attentes par rapport à eux. Ainsi, lorsque les rôles sont définis de manière claire et précise, il y a peu de place pour une lutte de pouvoir. Cette répartition des rôles renforce la cohésion du groupe et la satisfaction des membres favorise l’attachement de tous au groupe.

Étendue, limites et abus du pouvoir

Power is an interesting concept. Of course, power can be easily abused and is not always a great thing to have. In the words of Lord Action, who was far more eloquent that us, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men”.

Relying on referent power alone is not a good strategy for a leader who wants longevity and respect. This type of power, however, can be unpredictable and unstable. If you lose the title or position, your legitimate power can instantly disappear. The expertise does not have to be genuine - it is the perception of expertise that provides the power base.

Applications contemporaines et conseils pratiques

Anyone is capable of holding power and influencing others: you don't need to have an important job title or a big office. But if you recognize the different forms of power, you can avoid being influenced by those who use the less positive ones - and you can focus on developing expert and referent power for yourself.

Le leadership ne repose pas uniquement sur un titre ou une fonction. Ces cinq sources de pouvoir ne s’opposent pas : elles se complètent. Among these, informational power can be very strong in our increasingly information and data driven world.

Tableau récapitulatif des bases, sources et effets

They’re particularly helpful for aspiring, new and less self-aware leaders, and it’s worth noting that most leaders use a mixture of many forms of power. A key thing we call out in relation to forms of power is the importance of power that is not associated purely with position.

Le pouvoir légitime est fickle though. Reward generally only influences people work to the point at which a reward has been earned, after which there is no ongoing incentive. Expert and Referent power are very effective when combined and can form the basis of excellent leadership.

James Scouller is an expert coach and partner at The Scouller Partnership in the UK, which specialises in coaching leaders. He was chief executive of three international companies for eleven years before becoming a professional coach in 2004. French and Raven’s Forms of Power are a good framework for considering power and influence in leaders, and more broadly in the world of work.

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