SUNYIT

Human Resource Management
MGT 318
Professor N. Laino
Leadership

Jeff Albright
April 30, 2014
In the waning seconds of Game 6 during the 1998 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan found himself with the ball after stealing it from Karl Malone. Down by one, and with just 5.2 seconds left on the clock, Jordan rose up for a jumper that would end up being the winning points of the game. This win would earn Michael Jordan his sixth NBA championship. With every successful championship win, there is a leader who helped lead the franchise. Just as experienced leadership translates to success on the playing field, experienced leadership is essential in the business world.
Leadership is defined as “the use of power and influence to direct the activities of followers toward goal achievement. That direction can affect followers’ interpretation of events, the organization of their work activities, their commitment to key goals, their relationship with other followers, and their access to cooperation and support from other work units” (McGraw 418). Often times, people who are leaders are people of power; it’s how these leaders use their power to get followers to achieve goals. Someone who is powerful is often known for their ability to influence the behavior of others. In the workforce, most leaders are managers. There are three organizational forms of power that managers can use to influence employees: legitimate power, reward power, and coercive power. Legitimate power derives from a position of authority inside the organization and is sometimes referred to as “formal authority.” People with legitimate power often have titled positions like “manager,” “supervisor,” or in a more colloquial sense, “boss.” Those with legitimate power have the right to ask others to do things that are considered within the scope of their authority. When mangers ask an employee