Within my profession as a military leader, power is inherent to each position within the rank structure with more power given to an individual as they move up the chain of command. This is accomplished through the process of periodic promotion board that recommend advancement to individuals based on potential and their ability to lead. The higher you are in rank, the more power you have thus the more influence you can have across a broader audience. The armed forces rely on the same five types of power that a civilian organizations might use which are expert, coercive, legitimate, reward, and referent power (Leadership, 2014). From what I seen and observe for the most part, more emphasis is placed on coercive and expert power within the military based on the strict need to get the job done and the need for subordinates to follow orders (coercive power used to punish Soldiers who do not comply with orders). In addition, the military places emphasis on knowing exactly what your job is as it pertains to the technical and tactical aspects of what you are expected to do (expert power).
I understand influencing as it relates to the leader in the military setting as “influencing people – Soldiers, civilians and, multinational partners – to do what is necessary”. This entails more than just passing along orders. Personal examples are as important as spoken words. Leaders set the example, good or bad, with every action taken and word spoken, on or off duty. Through words and personal examples, leaders communicate purpose, direction and motivation (Army Leadership, 2006). This is not as easy as it actually sounds.
The communication of power is quite simple in the military. Take for instance the actual rank that is on the uniform. While everyone has the same uniform on, rank insignia depict a rank structure. A similar rank structure exist in the civilian world but it is not always worn on the business suit or work attire. In the corporate world, there is the Chief Executive Officer and the President and Vice President. The same rank structure exists in the military with the General being the CEO and the Colonel being the Vice President or senior manages. With a quick glance, military members know if they are talking to an Officer who has “Command Power” under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, or a Non-Commissioned Officer who typically is the actual workers who get the job done. The Officers and senior Non Commissioned Officers typically have their own office, which also exhibits power not to mention the requirement to stand at a position of attention or parade rest when talking to senior individuals. A worker in the civilian world also somewhat go by these rules of respect. You would not walk into your bosses’ office and kick your feet up on his table because you would be afraid that you would be fired.
For the most part, power and influence is the same in the military as it is in the civilian world other than the fact that the military pay much closer attention to the aspects that surround these two topics. The military requires strong and powerful leaders that are capable of influencing individuals. It is not simple to get someone to do something that they normally would not do on their own, especially when it has to do with life and death. While somewhat similar to the civilian world, power and influence come from the ability to give clear purpose and vision while providing direction and motivation. It is an area that requires constant improving by capturing lessons learned through a through after action process of talking thought issues that allow all parties to improve on their weaknesses. Power and influence is simply a portion of the big leadership process.
References
Army Leadership. (October 2006). Competent, Confident, and Agile. Headquarters, Department of Defense
Leadership Styles and Bases of Power. (2014). Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd ed.
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Int-Loc/Leadership-Styles-and-Bases-of-Power.html#ixzz2uonhZn3n