Power U 14: The Informal Powers, Expert and Referent

PowerU #14 - The last three videos have talked about types (or classifications) of power, and each went through one of the three types of “formal” power, which are those which exist because we’ve collectively agreed they exist. They are: 1. Positional Power 👑 2. Reward Power ⭐ 3. Coercive Power 💣 Today we start on the “informal” powers. These are powers which exist independently of other people and our yours to exercise. This video goes through two of the informal powers (Expert 🩺 and Referent 🤝🏽) and I will drop the third (and last type!) on Friday. As I’ve been watching the BC election unfold, I’ve been struck by how starkly the formal power types have been on display and then shifted to a prominent informal power type during the counting phase. With a bare majority government, I can see people trying to assert all kinds of power types. I’m curious how you see these powers showing up in recent elections, whether here in BC, in the recent Saskatchewan election, the growing swell of election in Canada or the very loud one happening in the US right now.