PowerWhen discussing the subject of leadership, one concept that inevitably comes up is that of power. For many people, power is not a pleasant thing because it has been associated with corruption, domination and exploitation of the weak by the powerful. It should be noted, however, that when power is exercised responsibly, it benefits society in a variety of ways. Power can be defined as the potential or ability to influence others in decision-making in the political, social, or economic realm (Rothman 425). In order to have a broader meaning of power, it is essential to understand the different sources of power and how power functions in society. In this regard, this article will discuss some examples of sources of power and the different theories that explain how power is distributed. The first type of power is legitimate power, which results from an individual gaining authority through a position, title, or job description. In this type of power, a democratic process is involved in the election of a political leader or civil servant to a position. The elected individual receives the legitimate authority to induce those who are required to perform their functions and obey established orders or rules (Rothman 426). The second source of power comes from the position one holds in an organization or political party. Therefore, positional power does not depend on the degree of legitimate power vested in an individual. According to Rothman, positional power can be characterized in terms of various factors. These include relevance, which refers to the extent to which the tasks assigned to an individual are aligned with the priorities of an organization (428). The other factor is flexibility, which refers to the extent to which...... middle of paper. .....retain their powerful positions. Another theory of power is the ruling class theory. According to this theory, power belongs to those who own and control the means of economic production. Therefore, a ruling class can be identified based on the ability of its members to control the channels through which production, exchange, and distribution of resources take place in society. This ruling class controls and dominates the institutions invested with political power (Power and Politics). From the above discussion, power as the ability to influence others has many faces, which various authors have attempted to identify. Leaders must understand the different sources of power so they can be effective in their leadership roles. From the theories of power discussed in the paper, it is clear that power is valuable and its exercise calls for responsibility..