Research culminating in the 1947 book The Theory of Social and Economic Organization by Mac Weber concluded that leadership rises from "three pure types of legitimate authority."
(1) rational grounds, based on the right of those elevated to positions of rank to exercise legal authority; (2) Traditional grounds, based on a belief in the sanctity of long-held traditions of who holds authority; and (3) Charismatic grounds, based on diversion by others, heroism or exemplary character that command respect.
Those never seemed adequate to me in describing all of the people I have known and thought of as leaders. Closer to mask are the seven sources of power for leaders described in the 1982 book, management of organizational behavior, which include Weber's three earlier citied sources, and I have added an eight category. The first two of these additional organizational sources of power borrow from Weber, and are:
Legitimate. Distinction between Weber's definitions of "rational" and "traditional" Sources o power never seems very evident. The term of "legitimate" nicely combines them both. A person with legitimate power is on who exercise power simple by virtue of his or her position. We do what this person wants because, well, this person is the boss. We might barely physically recognize the absentee owner of a business, and make jokes about it, but if the owner actually shows up at the office and makes a request, we will hop of it.
Referent. A person with this type of power has a great personality. Even when they have no "legitimate" authority, we tend to go along with referent-power people just because we like them and probably category to the "charismatic" leader from Weber's original three sources.
In addition. The 1982 book goes on to list the following sources of organization power:
Coercive. We've know or heard about people who use power in this way. They are not hesitant to force the rest of us to do as we've told. They are classic theory x leaders/manages in forcing their agenda on everyone with threats of firing. Demotion and downright bullying. Yet, they get things done at least for a while, or until topped in a rebellion.
Expert. Expert-power people command respect and willing service because of their knowledge. when leaders like this give an opinion in their area of expertise, other defer to that opinion and are willing to do whatever is recommended that is based on that expertise. Unlike the category of “legitimate,” this kind of leader might not even have organization rank or be anyone’s boss in the true sense of the word. But he or she definitely is a leader. Complete with willing following of both higher and lower rank.