Chapter 53
Legitimate Power
Legitimate Power goes to anyone who has a title. I think you’ll agree that you are always a little more intimidated by someone who has the title of vice president or doctor than you would be by someone who has no title. We gain Legitimate Power instantly, because it goes to us the moment that the title is conferred upon us.
For example, the moment the chief justice swears in the president of the United States, the president receives the full power of the presidency, independent of any personal power that may have existed moments before. What a president does with that power from that point on makes all the difference. Striking a balance between appearing presidential and appearing close to the people—just a regular ...

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