Trust in the workplace is like grease to a wheel—it keeps things running smoothly.
From driving more effective communication and decision-making to fostering greater collaboration and creativity, trust creates a domino effect of productivity and positivity that emboldens every aspect of a business, especially its team dynamics.
In fact, a study from Harvard Business Review found that employees at high-trust companies report:
- 74% less stress
- 106% more energy at work
- 50% higher productivity
- 13% fewer sick days
- 76% more engagement
- 29% more satisfaction with their lives
- 40% less burnout
And what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. If your team is thriving, your organization will, too.
Trust isn’t built overnight—it can take months or even years. But no matter how long it takes to create, trust can still be broken in an instant, so it’s imperative that leaders be intentional and consistent in their actions. The bases of power, when harnessed strategically, allow leaders to do just that to build trust in their workplace.
What Are the Bases of Organizational Power?
In the late 1950s, social psychologists John French and Bertram Raven sought to get a better understanding of how people obtain and exert power within group settings. Their research led them to identifying five distinct bases of power, which categorize the various ways in which individuals tend to influence others.
These five bases of power, often referred to as the “bases of organizational power” when applied to workplace dynamics, include:
- Legitimate power
- Expert power
- Referent power
- Coercive power
- Reward power
Since the publishing of the original study, this list has been expanded to include:
- Informational power
- Connection power
We’ll be focusing, however, on the three bases of power that have been clearly distinguished as major drivers in leadership roles:
Base #1: Legitimate Power – Authority
Legitimate power is the power an individual gains as a result of their formal position or role within an organization or social structure.
This power is largely dependent on where an individual falls with that hierarchy. The higher up an individual is, the more likely they are to be seen as “legitimate,” and vice versa. If someone loses their position, they often lose their power, too.
A great example of someone with legitimate power is a CEO. Because they hold the highest position possible within their company, they’re granted a certain level of authority. The perceived power of their position gives them the right to make major decisions and direct others.
But should that CEO step down or take on a less senior role within the company, they’ll no longer have that power. Instead, they’ll be confined to the limitations of the power their new role is perceived to have.
Base #2: Expert Power – Competency
Expert power is the power an individual gains as a result of their subject matter knowledge or expertise.
Unlike legitimate power, which is based on a person’s position within an organization, expert power stems mainly from their perceived expertise in a specific field. This expertise is accumulated from years and years of education and experience.
As a master of a particular skill or a specialist in a certain sector, individuals are viewed as credible, allowing them to become a trusted source of wisdom and guidance.
However, expert power is limited to the extent of which an individual specializes in their unique field.
Think of a doctor. They’re often viewed as subject matter experts within the medical field. However, a dermatologist, for instance, may be an expert on skin conditions, but know very little about heart disease. So, while they may have expert power in situations regarding dermatology, they likely won’t have expert power when it comes to issues on cardiology.
Expert power also only lasts so long as you deliver quality results. If, over time, the contributions you make based on your knowledge or skills seem less reliable or rational, your perceived credibility will falter.
Base #3: Referent Power – Respectability
Referent power is the power an individual gains through being admired or respected by others.
Contrary to power derived from title or expertise, referent power is purely relational and built on likeability. Those with the ability to connect with others on an emotional level as well as those who display admirable personal qualities, like charm, charisma or integrity, and interpersonal skills, like reliability and consistency, can have a personal appeal that makes them liked, respected and even trusted by others.
Someone like a mentor will likely have referent power, as the close bonds and tight-knit relationships they form allow them to inspire a sense of admiration and loyalty.
Like expert power, referent power is earned over a period of time and like legitimate power, it can be lost in an instant. If the relationship deteriorates for any reason, referent power won’t be far behind.
How to Leverage All Three to Build Trust
A trust-driven workplace isn’t something that can be created overnight. That being said, harnessing the bases of organizational power can get leaders one step closer to it.
If you’re hoping to lay the building blocks that allow a foundation of trust to be created, consider the following tips:
1. Tap Into Your Legitimate Power
As a higher-up within your organization, your authority can be a powerful tool—use it to bring alignment to your team. Setting clear expectations, being transparent about roles or responsibilities and holding each team member accountable for those responsibilities shows your team that you do what you expect them to do: You communicate, and you follow through. Trust is the natural outcome when your team sees that they can count on you to lead them fairly and effectively.
2. Tap Into Your Expert Power
Your expertise is a powerful tool—use it to enlighten your team. By sharing meaningful insights and advice, your perceived credibility grows and over time, that credibility positions you as a trusted resource for your team. As they start to recognize the value of your contributions and accept you as an expert in your field, capable and willing to use your knowledge to help them grow, your team will become more and more inspired to trust your guidance as their leader.
3. Tap Into Your Referent Power
Trust builds off of genuine connection. Investing in the personal relationships you have with your team will get you on the right path. Show them that you’re genuinely interested in their well-being by actively listening to their concerns or needs and asking for feedback on how you can improve. By prioritizing your relationship with your team members and putting in intentional effort to make them feel understood and supported, you can start to earn their trust.
Through employing a winning combination of the above three bases of power—legitimate, expert and referent—leaders can utilize the tools already at their disposal to foster a trust-oriented environment.
Looking for more tips for building trust in your team? Check out our new course, Building Trust. We give you everything you need, from step-by-step instructions and in-depth activities to peer discussions and self-assessments, to construct a workplace centered completely around trust. Learn more about Building Trust today.