What is the Best Power of the Project Manager?

Fahad Usmani, PMP

October 26, 2024

Today, we will explore the powers of a project manager.

The project environment is similar to a startup, with constant pressure to deliver results within a limited budget and a fixed timeline. You will often have new team members joining the project.

In this context, you must effectively manage and motivate your team to achieve their best performance. This task is not simple; it requires a blend of soft and hard skills to inspire and consistently engage team members.

A project manager needs different powers to manage team members under different circumstances.

Powers of Project Managers

As a project manager, you possess various powers. The sixth edition of the PMBOK Guide identifies fourteen powers of project managers:

Formal or Legitimate Power
Reward Power
Punishment Power
Expert Power
Relational Power
Informational Power
Persuasive Power
Ingratiating Power
Personal Power
Situational Power
Pressure-Based Power
Guilt-Based Power
Avoiding Power
Referent Power

This raises an important question: which power is the best for a project manager?

While preparing for the PMP exam, I found this topic particularly intriguing. It was widely stated that expert power and reward power are the most effective for project managers. However, I struggled to understand whether these powers are best used together or separately.

I researched and reflected deeply on this, yet I couldn’t find a convincing answer anywhere. Now that I have passed my PMP exam and run a blog, I want to share my insights on this topic.

Please note that the views expressed in this blog post are my own, and I welcome differing opinions in the comments below.

Let’s dive in.

Power can be defined as the ability to influence stakeholders to make favorable decisions. For instance, you can either compel them to follow your lead or attract them with your charisma.

These powers can be categorized into two types: positional power and personal power.

Positional power comes from your role as the project manager. Examples include formal power, reward power, and punishment power.

Personal power stems from one’s personality, experience, or knowledge. For example, expert power and referent power.

Many experts argue that rewards and expert powers are the most valuable. While I agree these are important influencing powers for project managers, I question whether they are equally effective and can each ensure project success.

I hold a different perspective. Let me explain in detail; I believe you’ll find my arguments compelling.

First, we will examine all the types of power before engaging in a thorough discussion.

1. Formal or Legitimate Power

As a project manager, you inherently possess formal or legitimate power. This authority comes with your position and is often called positional power. Team members are likely to follow your directives because they recognize your authority.

This type of power is prevalent in projectized and strong matrix organizations. However, it is absent in functional or weak matrix organizations. You must rely on your soft skills to motivate and guide your team in those environments.

2. Reward Power

Reward power stems from offering desirable incentives, motivating team members to support you, and believing their efforts will lead to rewards. These rewards can be monetary, such as salary increases, bonuses, or promotions, or non-monetary, like recognition, professional development opportunities, appreciation letters, or extra days off.

This power is tied to the project manager’s formal authority. In a functional organization or with a limited budget, monetary rewards may be challenging, making non-monetary incentives like recognition, training suggestions, or meaningful assignments more common.

Rewards should be attainable and equitable, ensuring that criteria are transparent and achievable for everyone. Reward power is a positional authority in projectized or strong matrix organizations, but in functional or weak matrix settings, you may only offer non-monetary benefits.

3. Punishment Power

Punishment power is based on the project manager’s formal authority and leverages the fear of consequences to ensure compliance. Team members may obey your directives primarily because they fear punishment if they fail to perform effectively. This approach, often called coercive power, is typically used when addressing poor performance or problematic behavior.

Punishment power is commonly associated with strong matrix organizations.

4. Expert Power

Expert power arises from your status as a subject matter expert. Team members will respect and trust you for your expertise, knowing you understand how to manage work effectively. This positive influence encourages others to follow your lead. Without specialized knowledge, gaining the respect of your team can be challenging.

5. Relational Power

Relational power comes from your connections with influential people within the organization. These relationships encourage team members to want to connect with you as well.

Relational power can be particularly beneficial for a new project manager during the initial stages of a project, especially if your only authority at that time is formal power. Being perceived as closely aligned with top management can enhance your influence and effectiveness.

6. Informational Power

The saying “knowledge is power” rings true in project management—being well-informed means being well-equipped for success. As someone who possesses or processes critical information, you significantly increase your chances of completing the project successfully. Your ability to gather, share, and utilize information effectively can enhance decision-making and guide your team toward achieving project goals.

7. Persuasive Power

Persuasive power is the ability to influence others positively. If you can express a challenging idea in a way that excites and motivates your team, you possess this power. Your persuasion skill encourages team members to follow your lead and embrace your vision, creating a more collaborative and productive work environment.

8. Ingratiating Power

Ingratiating power comes from your ability to flatter and connect with others. You can effectively navigate challenging situations by finding common ground, emphasizing shared goals, and fostering cooperation. This skill is particularly valuable for maintaining harmony within the team and diffusing tension when conflicts arise.

9. Personal Power

Personal power is derived from your unique personality traits and how you present yourself. Often referred to as charismatic power, this influence is shaped by your appearance, communication style, and behavior. A strong personal presence can inspire trust and motivate your team to rally around your vision.

10. Situational Power

Situational power emerges when you successfully navigate your project through a crisis. Your team will remember your efforts in overcoming challenges, leading to greater respect and trust. This power can strengthen your authority and influence within the team, making it easier to lead future initiatives.

11. Pressure-Based Power

You exercise pressure-based power if you frequently apply pressure on your team to meet tight deadlines or challenging conditions. While this approach may push team members to perform, it can also lead to stress and burnout if not managed carefully. Striking a balance between urgency and support is essential for maintaining morale and productivity.

12. Guilt-Based Power

Guilt-based power involves informing team members about their perceived shortcomings, even if they perform well. You encourage them to strive for better performance by instilling a sense of responsibility. However, relying too heavily on this approach can lead to a negative work environment and diminished morale.

13. Avoiding Power

Avoiding power occurs when you sidestep difficult decisions or fail to attend important meetings. This negative form of power can hinder progress and frustrate team members who rely on your leadership. It is essential to confront challenges directly and engage with your team to foster a productive project environment.

14. Referent Power

Referent power is established through your long-standing presence in a profession, earning credibility and respect. Colleagues and team members look up to you due to your experience, which can enhance your influence and effectiveness as a project manager. This power fosters loyalty and cooperation among team members, making it a valuable asset in your leadership toolkit.

My View

You can have any or all of the powers explained here, but to complete the project successfully with minimal hassle, you should have at least three of these powers: formal power, reward power, and expert power.

For example, formal power establishes your authority as the project lead; reward power helps you motivate team members, and expert power helps you gain trust and support from your team members.

Punishment power works in some cases. The effects of relational power are not long-lasting.

Now, ask yourself: what is the best power for a project manager?

Let’s see in which cases the team members will be more motivated and committed to performance:

A willing team member will do a better job, and the motivation to work comes from reward power. Team members will be more committed if they know they will be rewarded.

With formal and punishment power, team members are beaten into submission, which does not motivate them.

With expert power, though team members respect you and trust your decisions, this trust will not translate into motivation; it can be a stabilizing influence but can never be a motivation. An increase in performance and efficiency will not happen without a motivating factor.

I accept the importance of expert power; however, I firmly believe that reward power is better than expert power in motivating team members and results in better performance.

Summary

It is vital to understand every type of power that a project manager can use in different situations and various kinds of organizations so that you can be flexible and adaptive. If you are working in a projectized organization, you will have punishment and reward power. However, if you work in a functional organization, you must depend on expert power and soft skills.

Further Readings:

References:

The effectiveness of different power styles of project managers in gaining project support

This topic is important from the PMP exam point of view.

Fahad Usmani, PMP

I am Mohammad Fahad Usmani, B.E. PMP, PMI-RMP. I have been blogging on project management topics since 2011. To date, thousands of professionals have passed the PMP exam using my resources.

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