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LeadershipTV® - Leading with influence: The six power bases
10/20/2016How can leaders inspire commitment—rather than resistance or even merely compliance—in others?
In this installment of Heidrick & Struggles’ LeadershipTV®, Brig. Gen. Bernard Banks, former head of the United States Military Academy’s Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership, draws on the work of researchers John R. P. French and Bertram H. Raven to identify two of the “power bases” underlying effective leadership:
- Expert power: the belief in a leader’s deep knowledge or understanding
- Referent power: the belief that a leader is looking out for one’s best interest
Leaders who cultivate these power bases inspire others to go above and beyond their assigned tasks and come up with creative solutions to broader problems.
About Bernard Banks
Education
Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy at West Point
Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management
Master of Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government
Master of Strategic Studies from the US Army War College
Master of Arts and Master of Philosophy in organizational psychology from Columbia University
PhD in social-organizational psychology from Columbia University
Completed Harvard Business School’s General Management Program
Career highlights
Brig. Gen. Bernard Banks is Associate Dean for Leadership Development at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Before retiring from the US Army in August 2016, he was the head of West Point’s Department of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership; he has previously served as the squadron commander of an Apache helicopter unit based in South Korea and as a military social aide to President Bill Clinton. He has also led executive education programs for organizations such as Procter & Gamble, IBM, and Best Buy.
Related viewing
View Leadership Lessons in a VUCA World, another interview with Brig. Gen. Bernard Banks.