In this article, Steve Walikonis argues that how pastors utilize power determines how followers respond to their leadership. Walikonis utilizes J.P. French and B. Raven's theory to describe five broad categories of power:
(1) Expert Power: The use of a leader’s credibility to exercise influence. A leader’s expert power may be undermined when an individual within the organization has credentials that surpass the leader’s credentials
(2) Referent Power: The leader exercises influence through the respect/admiration they have gained with their followers. According to Walikonis, referent power is often utilized by servant leaders and often produces loyalty and teamwork.
(3) Reward Power: The leader’s ability to influence depends upon their ability to offer rewards that motivate followers to action. When a pastor praises a volunteer’s service from the pulpit, the pastor is using reward power.
(4) Coercive Power: The leader’s ability to influence depends upon their ability to instill fear in their followers. Walikonis reveals that congregants who have a coercive pastor will often say: “It’s the pastor’s way or no way!”
(5) Legitimate Power: The leader’s ability to influence is based upon traditional expectations which “[followers] hold regarding behaviors appropriate in a given position.” Walikonis gives the example of the President of the United States. Upon being elected, the President immediately exercises great influence through legitimate power.
Which type of power do you typically use when leading? Is there any type of power which Jesus did not use? Which type of power is commonly abused? Why?
I call this.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that the author is mistaken in affirming that Jesus embodied all five of these categories. While Jesus did sometimes refer to punishment and judgment, it was not done to instill fear into those he sought to have power over. It is the focus on fear that really seems antithetical to Jesus’ ministry. Indeed, as John points out in his first epistle, perfect love, the kind of love that Jesus would have exhibited, casts out fear. Furthermore, when Jesus admonishes his audience during the Sermon on the Mount to not return evil for evil, he is admonishing them not to embrace the violence that the Roman Empire used to instill fear in its subjects in order to rule them.
ReplyDeleteThis certainly ought to have implications for my own leadership style. To be sure, there will certainly be times when I have to carry out punishments on those who fail in their tasks or act reprehensibly. The fear of this punishment, however, should in no way be the primary way that my followers and I understand the dynamics of our relationship. It should be understood that punishment is an oddity that was never intended by God to be part of normal human interactions.