Project leader plays a pivotal role in managing the resources of the project.

To ensure smooth running and completion of the project, project leader takes the best possible
decisions regarding the resources. They determine the resources required for the project. For optimal
available resources , they have to negotiate with the resource managers. Project leaders crete a project
team directory and job descriptions for team members and other stake holders. Leader ensures that
right resources are present at the right time during the project.
Project leaders are responsible for directing resources. It is up to him to use the resources in such a
manner that it gets the job done on time and with in the proposed budget. Ensuring the availability of
the right people with the required skills at the time of need is responsibility of the leader. The leader has
to manage a group of people that may provide resources to the project.
They have to evaluate individual performance against the goals, deliverables, standards and provide
meaningful and constructive feedback to the people that they manage. They also need to be mindful of
the team dynamics, knowing the strength and weaknesses of individuals in the team and how they
interact with one another, resolving issues and conflicts and supporting team morale.
Effective leader is also adept at managing a limited supply of resources against constantly changing
demands. This requires brain storming and a good view of what is coming up and creating short, mid
and long term resource plans.

Resource manager coordinates capabilities and workload.

According to the PMI, a project manager can have five types of powers:

 Formal or Legitimate Power

 Reward Power
 Punishment Power
 Expert Power
 Relational Power
These powers are grouped into two categories: positional powers and personal power.

Formal power, reward power, and punishment powers are examples of positional power
because you get this power just by being a project manager.

Expert and referent powers are examples of personal power.

I agree that reward and expert powers are the better influencing powers for a project
manager.

But are you sure that these two powers are equally good?

I don’t think so.

Let me explain in detail. I believe that after going through this blog post, you will also
have the same thoughts as I do.

Let’s have a quick look at all types of powers, before we dive into the detailed
discussion.

1# Formal or Legitimate Power

As long you are a project manager, You have this power; This power comes with the
position itself; therefore, this power is also called positional power. Team members will
obey orders from you because they know that you have the authority to issue orders.

This type of power is seen in a projectized organization and a strong matrix type of
organization.
However, this power does not exist in a functional organization or a weak matrix
organization. In this case, you may have to use your soft skills to get the job done.
2# Reward Power
A reward is something people desire. Reward power is (to some extent) attached to the
formal power of the project manager. The team member will support you because they
think that you are capable of rewarding them if they perform well. Rewards may be
monetary (salary increase, bonus, promotion, etc.) or non-monetary (recognition,
professional development, appreciation letter, day off, etc.).

You may be working in a functional organization, or the budget is tight so, giving
monetary rewards is may be difficult. Therefore, most of the time rewards are non-
monetary such as recognition, training recommendation, or a valuable assignment.

A reward should be achievable, and it should not be a win-lose type of reward. Reward
criteria should be fair, clear, and possible for all.

Reward power is a positional power, and you can have this power if you are working in
a projectized or in a strong matrix organization. Although you can have reward power in
a functional or a weak matrix organization as well, here you can offer your team
members only non-monetary benefits.

3# Punishment Power
Nobody wants to get punished. Punishment power comes with the formal power of the
project manager. Here, the team members will obey you because they are afraid that if
they don’t perform their duties efficiently, they may get punished. Here you use fear as a
primary tool to get work done. Punishment power is also known to as coercive power.
This type of power is associated with a projectized or a strong matrix organization.

Usually, you will use this power when a team member is not performing well or is
creating problems affecting your project.
4# Expert Power
Being a subject matter expert itself is an excellent influential power. Team members will
respect you for your technical expertise. They trust you because they think that you are
an expert and know how to handle issues.

Expert power is considered to be a positive power that influences team members to

follow your lead. If you do not possess expert knowledge, then it would be difficult for
you to gain respect from the team members.

5# Relational Power
If you have connections with some influential people in the organization, you are said to
possess relational power. Since you are connected with influential people, your team
members want to connect with you as well.

If you are a new project manager, this power may help you in the initial stages of the
project when you may not have any other power except formal power; however, you
may be perceived as being closely aligned with the top management.

My View
You can have any or all of the powers explained here, but to complete the project you
need to have at least three of these powers; i.e., formal power, reward power, and
expert power.

Formal power establishes your authority as the lead of the project, reward power helps
you motivate the team members, and expert power will benefit you to gain trust and
support for your decisions from the team members.

Punishment power works in some cases, and the effects of relational power are not long
lasting.

Now, again, ask yourself: Which is the best power for the project manager?

Let’s revisit some key points and see in which case the team member will be more
motivated and committed to performance:
  A willing team member will do a better job, and the motivation of willingness to
work comes from reward power. Team members will be more committed if they
know that they are going to be rewarded for their performance.
 With formal and punishment power, team members are beaten into submission,
which does not motivate the team members.
 With expert power, though, team members respect you and they trust your
decisions, but this trust is not going to translate into motivation; it can only be a
hygienic factor but can never be a motivating factor. An increase in performance
and efficiency cannot be found without a motivating factor.
I accept the importance of expert power; however, I firmly believe that reward power is
better than expert power to motivate the team members and result in a better
performance.

Summary
It is vital to understand all types of power that a project manager can use in different
situations and different kinds of organizations because your management style will
depend on the situation and the type of organization you are working in. If you are
working in a projectized organization, you will have punishment and reward power.
However, if you are working in a functional organization, you will have to depend on
expert power and your soft skills.
NB: If you are preparing for the PMP certification exam, keep in mind that expert power
and reward power are equally best as per the PMI, and if you get any question on this
topic then you can select any of two (and of course pray that both do not come up as an
option).