Final answer:
Referent power is a leader's ability to command respect and inspire trust through personal qualities and interpersonal skills. It is based on admiration and the relationship between the leader and others, unlike coercive, legitimate, expert, or reward power, which are all based on different foundations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of power that comes from a leader's ability to command respect through interpersonal skills and qualities that inspire trust is referred to as referent power. Referent power is based on the admiration one has for a leader and the desire to emulate them. This form of authority often stems from a person's charisma, reputation, and the relationship they build with others within a group.
It differs from other forms of power such as coercive power, which is based on the fear of negative results, legitimate power, which stems from an official position or role, expert power, which is derived from possessing knowledge or a specialized skill set, and reward power, based on the ability to reward others for compliance or desired behaviors.
Notable examples of leaders who possessed referent power include Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King Jr., each of whom inspired trust and respect through their strong personalities and moral leadership.