Strategic Business Leader · Qualities of leadership

Leadership Power, Authority and Followership for ACCA SBL

Updated 11 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Power is the ability to get others to act as you want. Authority is power that people accept as legitimate. French and Raven list five power bases: legitimate, reward, coercive, expert and referent. In SBL, identify the power base in the case, judge its effect on followers, and recommend action.

Understand Leadership Power, Authority and Followership

Power is the ability to influence what others do, even if they resist. Authority is the right to give instructions, which others accept as legitimate. A manager has authority from their position. A leader may also have power from skill, respect or charisma. A person can have power without authority, such as an informal influencer. A person can have authority without much real power, such as a manager nobody follows.

French and Raven identified five bases of power. Legitimate power comes from position. Reward power comes from control over pay, promotion or resources. Coercive power comes from the ability to punish. Expert power comes from knowledge or skill. Referent power comes from admiration and identification with the leader. Later work added information power, but the five are the core set.

Handy distinguishes the sources and uses of power. His ideas include position power, resource power, expert power and personal power. He also describes how power is used, from force and rules through to exchange and persuasion. His point is that the choice of method affects how followers respond. Raven's later work is not needed beyond this level. Handy's labels vary between sources, so state them clearly in your answer and explain them as you use them.

Followership treats followers as active. Followers decide whether to comply, resist or commit. A leader whose power rests on coercion often gets compliance only while watched. Expert and referent power tend to produce commitment. Strong followers can challenge poor decisions and so help governance and ethics. Weak or passive followers may let a dominant leader go unchecked.

Emotional intelligence (Goleman) helps a leader use power well. His five elements are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. A leader with these reads followers, manages their own reactions and builds trust. This strengthens referent power and reduces resistance. In SBL you use these ideas as tools to analyse a scenario, not as lists to recite.

Key rules to remember

French and Raven's five power bases: Legitimate + Reward + Coercive + Expert + Referent; Name the base, quote evidence from the case, then assess its effect on followers.
Power versus authority: Authority = power that is accepted as legitimate; Power can exist without authority and authority can exist with little real power.
Goleman's five elements of emotional intelligence: Self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, social skills; Link each element to a behaviour shown by the leader in the scenario.

How to solve Leadership Power, Authority and Followership questions

Use this method for any question on leader power, authority, followers or emotional intelligence. Keep the answer tied to the scenario.

1Read the requirement and note the verb: identify, analyse, evaluate or recommend.
2Pick out facts in the case about who holds power and how they use it, such as pay control, expertise, threats or personal admiration.
3Name the power base or source that each fact shows, using French and Raven or Handy.
4Separate power from authority: say whether followers accept the leader's right to lead.
5Assess the effect on followers: compliance, resistance or commitment, and the likely impact on performance, ethics or change.
6Bring in emotional intelligence or followership where the case shows empathy, poor self-control or passive followers.
7Recommend practical changes, such as building expert or referent power or involving followers, and justify them.
8Close with a short conclusion that answers the requirement and shows professional judgement.

Quickest way: Base, effect, action

When to use it: Use this when you have little time and the requirement is short, such as a 5 to 10 mark part.

List the power bases visible in the scenario in one line each, with a case quote.
Write one sentence per base on how followers will react.
State whether the leader has authority or only power.
Add one recommendation that moves the leader towards expert or referent power.
Check that every point refers to the named people or organisation in the case.

Common mistakes in Leadership Power, Authority and Followership

Listing the five power bases without applying them to the case.
The bases are easy to memorise, so students write a theory dump.
Fix: Use each base only when you can cite a fact from the scenario, and explain its effect.
Treating power and authority as the same thing.
In daily speech the words are used interchangeably.
Fix: State that authority is accepted, legitimate power, and show a case example where the two differ.
Assuming coercive or reward power is always bad.
Students learn that expert and referent power are preferred.
Fix: Say that each base can suit some situations, such as a crisis, but over-reliance on coercion risks resentment and short-term compliance.
Ignoring followers and writing only about the leader.
Leadership topics focus on leader traits and styles.
Fix: Add how followers respond and whether they can challenge the leader, which links to governance and ethics.
Listing Goleman's five elements without evidence.
Students recall the list and stop.
Fix: Pick the one or two elements the case shows or lacks, and explain the consequence for team trust and performance.
Ending with no recommendation.
The analysis feels complete once the theory is applied.
Fix: Finish with practical actions and a brief justification, as professional skills marks reward commercial judgement.

Worked examples

Example 1

Meera is the CEO of a listed manufacturer. She sets pay and bonuses for all senior managers, threatens dismissal for missed targets, and has an engineering background that few managers match. Several managers say they follow her instructions only because they fear losing their jobs. Analyse the sources of Meera's power and assess their effect on followers.

Show the solution

Reward power: she sets pay and bonuses. This motivates managers who want money, but only while rewards remain on offer.
Coercive power: she threatens dismissal. Managers comply out of fear, which the case confirms.
Expert power: her engineering background gives her credibility. This can earn respect and commitment.
Legitimate power: as CEO she holds formal authority, so her instructions are accepted as part of the role.
Effect: reliance on coercion produces compliance, not commitment. Managers may hide problems, resist change when unobserved, or leave.
Recommendation: Meera should lean more on expert and referent power, explain decisions and involve managers in target setting.

Answer: Meera uses legitimate, reward, coercive and expert power. Coercion is the weakest base for long-term performance because it breeds fear and compliance. She should shift towards expert and referent influence to gain commitment.

Example 2

Raj, a finance director, has little formal authority over the sales team. He is, however, widely respected for his honesty and sound advice, and sales staff often ask his view before major deals. Explain the difference between power and authority using Raj's situation, and explain how emotional intelligence could strengthen his influence.

Show the solution

Authority: Raj has none over the sales team because he has no formal right to direct them.
Power: he still influences them. His expert power comes from his financial knowledge. His referent power comes from respect for his honesty.
Distinction: power exists without authority here, as followers choose to be guided by him.
Emotional intelligence: self-awareness helps him know when his advice may be resisted.
Empathy lets him understand sales pressures and present advice in a way that helps them.
Social skills help him build the relationships that sustain his influence without formal rank.
Conclusion: his influence rests on trust, so emotional intelligence protects and extends it.

Answer: Raj has power without authority, based on expert and referent bases. Emotional intelligence, especially empathy and social skills, would help him keep this influence and use it constructively.

Exam tips

Always quote the case. A named power base with no evidence earns few marks.
Use professional skills: structure the answer, be sceptical about leader claims, and give practical advice.
Link leadership power to other topics when the requirement allows, such as governance, ethics or change resistance.
Do not spend time defining every theory. Define briefly, then apply and evaluate.
Check whether the question asks about the leader, the followers or both, and cover the side asked.

Practice questions from Qualities of leadership

Leadership Power, Authority and Followership: frequently asked questions

What are French and Raven's five bases of power?

They are legitimate, reward, coercive, expert and referent power. Legitimate comes from position, reward from control of benefits, coercive from the ability to punish, expert from knowledge and referent from admiration. Use them to analyse how a leader influences others in the case.

What is the difference between power and authority?

Power is the ability to influence others, even without their agreement. Authority is power that others accept as legitimate, usually from a formal position. A leader can have power without authority, or authority without real power.

Why does followership matter in SBL?

Followers decide whether to comply, resist or commit, so they shape how well a leader performs. Active followers can also challenge poor or unethical decisions. This links leadership to governance and ethics.

How do I use Goleman's emotional intelligence in an answer?

Choose the elements the case shows or lacks, such as empathy or self-regulation. Explain how they affect trust, team morale and resistance. Avoid listing all five without linking them to the scenario.