Bite-Sized Training

Building Expert Power

Bite-Sized Scenario Training

Building Expert Power

Bite-Sized Training
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Version 3.2.
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Cover image iStockphoto/santosha.

Contents
1.

Introduction

2.

Leadership and Power Basics

3.

Building and Using Expert Power

4.

Key Learning Points

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iii

1. Introduction

here are many different types of leaders, and they all have different
sources of leadership power.
Some of these sources are highly effective and motivating, while others
leave us feeling unmotivated, uninspired or even oppressed.

People have been studying the causes of these differences for a long time. And,
while there are still many views about what makes a good leader, there are two
things that we do know for certain about leadership:
1.
2.

Its about much more than being responsible for other people.
Its a role that you can choose.

This means that you can be a leader in your own way, whether youre currently in a
formal leadership role or not.
This Bite-Sized Training session encourages you to think about how you can
start using expert power as the foundation of your approach to leadership.
Well explore:

Different types of power.

What expert power is and why its so important.
How to build, maintain and use expert power.

By the end of this session, lasting around one hour, youll know how to be a more
effective leader, and youll be able to start applying the skills that youve learned
immediately, whether youre in a leadership role or not.

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

2. Leadership Power Basics

aving responsibility for people and projects does not automatically make
you a leader. Leadership is a process rather than a position you identify
what has to be done, influence others to achieve it, make sure that the job
is done well, and build an even stronger team.

You can learn to be a successful leader by developing effective leadership skills

and behaviors. But how do you know which approach you should use?
There are seven bases of power that leaders can draw on, which are categorized
as either formal or informal. Identifying the correct base of power is the key
to becoming an effective leader. For example, using threatening behavior could
influence people to do what you want, but this type of power has no legitimacy or
value. However, if you think of power as something that helps you lead, motivate,
influence, and inspire others, then it can be extremely positive and effective.
Lets look at these seven bases of power in more detail.

Tip:
For more on leadership styles and theories, and how to apply them, see our
articles on Leadership Styles and Core Leadership Theories.

1.1. Formal Power Sources

Formal power sources are:

Legitimate Power comes with a particular position or title.

Reward Power comes from the authority to give rewards.
Coercive Power comes from the ability to punish.
Information Power comes from exclusive access to information.

Many people in positions of authority will possess these, but thats not
enough to make them leaders. These sources of power are not inspirational
or motivational, so they are unlikely to be permanent. And, there will likely be
negative consequences for people who rely too much on them, and, in particular,
misuse them.

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

Action:
Think of leaders youve worked with in the past who used formal power
alone. In other words, power not based on charisma, expertise or setting a
great personal example (well look at these later). Write their names in the
table below.
Next, identify the type of formal power that each person held. Was he or she
powerful because he was the boss? Did she lead by intimidation or coercion?
Did he have access to certain information? Think of at least one base of power
for each person.
If you cant think of an example from your own life, consider a general group of
people who might use a particular source of power. For example, the popular
kids at school could be seen as leaders because they have the power to reward
others with inclusion in their group.
Lastly, analyze the long-term effectiveness of each persons power. Is it likely
that people will continue to follow her, even when circumstances change?

Person

Base of Power

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

Effectiveness

It should now be clear that true leaders do not necessarily have to have formal
power. People can inspire you to work hard, and can make a real difference to your
life, without having it. These individuals likely derive most of their power from
informal sources, although they may also have formal power in terms of title and
the ability to reward.

1.2. Informal Power Sources

Informal sources of power are:
Charismatic Power comes from a persons natural charm and charisma.
Referent Power comes from treating people well, setting a good
example, demonstrating integrity, and generally behaving in such a way
that team members seek to please him and emulate his behavior.
Expert Power comes from having team members believe that she has
the knowledge, skills and experience to lead a team.

These informal sources of power are the most compelling. Charisma is often a
naturally occurring trait its quite difficult to learn it (although you can go a long
way by presenting yourself well). On the other hand, you can develop expert and
referent power much more easily.
When you demonstrate these two power bases, you have taken the first steps
toward becoming a transformational leader someone who has integrity;
inspires people with a shared vision of the future; sets clear goals; motivates team
members to achieve them; and communicates effectively.

Tip:
See our article, Developing Charisma, for more on how you can develop
this trait.

Action:
Take some time to think about people who have exerted informal power
in your life, and complete the table on the next page. Think about the
following points:
1.
2.
3.

What were their sources of power? (Check all that apply.)

Did they also hold formal power? (Check the box if they did.)
Compare their effectiveness with those you identified in the last
exercise (leaders who only had formal power).

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

Person

Base of Power
Charisma

Expert

Referent

Formal

Effectiveness

Its likely that the people with more than one type of informal power were
influential leaders, regardless of whether they also had formal power. Its also likely
that they made you feel good as a result of their leadership.

Action:
Think about your own sources of power. Remember, whether youre currently
in a leadership role or not, you do have power. Write down your personal
sources of power in the table on the next page.

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

Power Source

How I Have Developed and Used This Power Source

Legitimate

Reward

Coercive

Information

Charismatic

Referent

Expert

You can clearly see from this exercise that you do have power. So, now you need to
learn how to build your expert power and maximize your effectiveness as a leader.

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

3. Building and Using Expert Power

s a leader, your team members look to you for direction and support.
They have to believe that you know what youre doing, and that you have
the ability to guide them to success. This is why having expert power is so
important if you want to be an effective leader.

When people see you as an expert, they trust you. For example, we trust computer
technicians to recover data from our hard drives because of their expertise. And,
we employ public relations professionals to handle the media for us, because we
trust their ability to do so. This is the same sort of trust that your team members
have in you when youre the expert.
Along with trust in your skills comes trust in your judgment. As an expert, team
members will come to you with their problems; theyll believe that you know how
to produce excellent results; and theyll trust that you have the wisdom needed to
reach the end goal.
All of this will lead your team to respect you and your abilities.
As a whole, expert power helps you to influence peoples behavior and
motivate them to do great work. Whats more, expert leaders earn their team
members respect, so youll likely experience fewer people problems than
non-expert leaders.

3.1. Building Expertise

By definition, an expert has specialized skills and abilities, knows what he is doing,
and understands how to secure a positive outcome. However, you cant be an
expert in everything. So, to be a leader with expert power, you have to identify
where your expertise lies, where you have to become expert, and where you want
to become an expert. You should also identify what you dont know, so that you
can bring in other experts as required.

3.1.1. Current Expertise

Building expert power starts with understanding your current skills. When you
know your areas of expertise, its much easier to identify leadership roles where
you can thrive.

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

Action:
Use the table below to record your current expertise.
First, list the areas where youre already an expert. Then, record the credentials
you have that make you an expert. Include experience, education, awards, and
so on.
When youve made the effort to become an expert, its only fair that youre
recognized for it. If you have a professional qualification in a relevant discipline,
if youve held a high-ranking position, if youve worked for a very successful
company, or if youve been given a prestigious award, then people should know
about it.
Theres a fine line between bragging and informing, and what is appropriate in
one organization or culture may not be in another. So, however you promote your
image of expertise, do so in moderation. For instance, hanging an award certificate
in your office or writing articles for the trade press may be good ways to show your
expertise. Reminding people regularly that you graduated top of your class at
Harvard may not be so effective.

Action:
In the last column of the table below, write down how youll promote
your expertise.

Area of Expertise

Credentials
Experience

Education

Awards

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

Other

Method of Promotion

Remember, you cant be an expert in everything, and earning a credential doesnt

necessarily make you an expert. So, dont claim to be knowledgeable about things
that youre not this will only damage your credibility and cast doubt on your
legitimate areas of expertise.

3.1.2. Additional Expertise

Its important not to limit yourself to your current areas of expertise. You should
be thinking of ways to expand your knowledge, so that you continue to grow and
develop. Consider the following:
1.

2.

3.

Expertise you need now the skills and knowledge you have now are
great, but do you have sufficient expertise to be exceptionally effective
(and respected) in your current role? Do you need to develop additional
areas of expertise?
Expertise youll need for the future do you have the skills that youll
need for your next promotion? (Remember, most people get promoted
because theyve already demonstrated the skills they need for the new
role not because they have the potential to develop them.) However
good your skills are right now, you should always be searching for ways to
develop further, to move your career in the direction you want.
Expertise you want equally, you may want to build certain skills and
expertise because youre interested in them, and as part of your personal
development. This is a good time to think about this!

Action:
Think about how you would like your career to develop, and what expertise
youll need to make this happen. Record your thoughts in the table below.
Then, think specifically about how you can develop that expertise. List as
many activities as you can, including further education and training, and think
about how much experience you will need.

I want/need to develop expertise in:

How I will do this:

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

I want/need to develop expertise in:

How I will do this:

I want/need to develop expertise in:

How I will do this:

3.2. Maintaining Your Expertise

When you have expertise, you have to work hard to maintain it.
The first step is to manage your credibility, and you can do this by understanding
your limitations. Many people think that leaders have to know everything, but
this is simply not true: effective leaders know when to call on other experts for
their opinions.
Remember, people trust leaders to know how to achieve their objectives, but they
dont have to know how to do every task involved with this. If you try to appear
expert at something youre not, others will quickly see through this, and they may
start to question your expertise in areas where you really are knowledgeable.

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

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Action:
Think of a time when a leader you worked with overstepped her expert
boundaries. What was the result? What can you learn from the experience?
Write your answers down in the table below.

Briefly describe the situation. Who was the leader? What was your role?

What did the leader do to compromise his/her credibility?

What can you learn from the experience?

As an expert, you may know a lot about a subject or task, but this doesnt mean
that youre better or smarter than others. Always take care to ensure that people
feel comfortable expressing ideas and asking questions. Expert power is a positive
source of power, so you must make sure that you support your team members,
protect their self-esteem, and avoid making them feel inferior.

3.3. Using Your Expert Power

There are three key ways that you can use your expert power to influence and
motivate others. These are:

3.3.1. Staying Informed

As an expert, you can make use of rational persuasion logical arguments
and facts to convince others to join or agree with you. However, this relies
on objective information, so its critical that you stay up to date with whats

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

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happening in your projects and in your area of expertise. Otherwise, people may
question your expertise, and this could compromise your ability to influence them.

3.3.2. Remaining Connected

You must always remain approachable and connected to your team members. If
you distance yourself from them, youll likely stop sharing and communicating
your expertise. This makes it very difficult for you to influence them, as you wont
be aware of what will motivate or inspire them.
Whats more, be humble in your approach: be patient, and take time to coach
people when they need it. And, as far as you sensibly can, let them work out
solutions for themselves and keep ownership of their ideas.

3.3.3. Staying Confident in Crises

Being confident in a crisis can be quite challenging. When a crisis occurs, your
team will look to you for direction. As an expert, people expect you to know what
to do, and you must meet that expectation in order to maintain your expert status.
In many crises, you dont have to find a perfect solution: a good one is often
enough. In fact, the final outcome of your decision can sometimes be less
important than your willingness to take the lead.

Tip:
Use techniques such as Risk Analysis, Contingency Planning, and Scenario
Analysis to prepare for possible crises.

Action:
Think about a situation where you will be, or were, the expert, and answer the
questions on the next page. How will you use the expert power approaches
above to maintain your expert status?

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

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Situation description:

What will you do to stay informed, and to build expertise?

What will you do to stay connected to people?

Which risks and contingencies should you prepare for?

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

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4. Key Learning Points

ne of the best ways to become an effective leader is to build expert

power. When you lead without expert power, its much more difficult for
you to achieve buy-in from team members, and to influence others.

When you use expert power as your power base, or use it to

complement other formal and informal sources of power, you can build on the
trust and respect that your expertise provides, positively impact your team
members, and improve the work that youre doing.
Start building and using expert power today. Youll be a much more
effective leader as a result!

Building Expert Power Bite-Sized Training | Mind Tools

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