What is Legitimate Power?

Legitimate Power represents a leader's power due to their position in an organization. 

In an enterprise, comparable rank best defines legitimate power—Who do you answer to? Who is reporting to you? Who seems to be your colleagues? What are your official situation organization's objectives, goals, and boundaries?

Understanding Legitimate Power

Although people in positions of authority are also likely to have reward and coercive power, legitimate power is broader than the power to coerce and reward.

Power in the organization can happen in a variety of ways. It could emerge even in the absence of a formal corporate structure. This may also occur apart from traditional hierarchy—this article explains legitimate power.

Professional Hierarchy

Legitimate Power is a defined situation that comes from your job role. Subordinates cooperate as they agree on your role's legitimacy. Scheduling lawful includes a provision that larger duties are met. Lower-level employees can then securely concentrate on their work.

You use this authority when you order your subordinates to do something, regardless of your hierarchical order. Successful managers should use their legitimate power combined with personalized energy.

What Comes With Power

With Legitimate Power, your role is what gives you power. The farther you progress on the corporate ladder, the more control you have. When you end up losing your status, your power vanishes. This is because your workers were impacted solely by your role, rather than you as a person.

Practical Example

At all sections of life, legitimate power exists like -

• Presidents and monarchs, for example, possess legitimate power backed by legislation and law enforcement.
• A primary school football coach has legitimate authority over the player's participants.
• Executives, army personnel, and governors all wield lawful authority over others to achieve their objectives.
• Parents have as much legal control over their children as possible. They possess unquestioned authority. They often suggest and make their children understand what is right and wrong.
• Teachers also have a tremendous amount of power and influence in the world.

In Sentences

• Legitimate power is the authority that comes from the professional job or role in the organization's structure of responsibility.