In 1959, French and Raven described five bases of power:

Legitimate - This comes from the belief that a person has the formal right to make demands and to expect others to be compliant and obedient.

Reward results from one person's ability to compensate another for compliance.

Expert - This is based on a person's high skill and knowledge levels.

Referent results from a person's perceived attractiveness, worthiness, and right to others' respect.

Coercive comes from believing that a person can punish others for noncompliance.

Compare two leaders (in a current or past organization) with clear differences in power bases.