There are five main types of power. These consist of Coercive, Reward, Legitimate, Referent, and Expert. I want to focus on Legitimate and Referent power today.
Legitimate power is the authority a leader has because of his/her position. For example, the CEO of a company has legitimate power over those under him. A shift manager at a McDonald's has legitimate power over the cooks and other lower-ranked employees on his/her shift.
Referent power, on the other hand, is authority a leader is given by his/her subordinates because of certain admirable characteristics he/she may possess. Usually, we're talking about charisma.
Given these definitions, which leader do you believe is most powerful? Would you choose to follow a charismatic leader with no real authority over a legitimate power? Would you choose to do the opposite? Why?
P.S. - Obviously, as is with most questions, a viable answer is "Depends." I beg you, don't over think it! Just curious to see what other people think about this question. On a side note, the general consensus agrees that Legitimate Power is the greatest.