1īecome the kind of leader that people would follow voluntarily even if you had no title or position. This is a result of negative referent power: our desire not to identify with an individual. 1 On the other hand, if a celebrity who we absolutely dislike endorses a cosmetics brand, we may purposely avoid shopping from that brand. Because of their likeability, they have the power to positively influence us and our actions. Due to our desire of maintaining identification with them, we behave in ways similar to theirs. Individuals we feel attracted towards and identify with have “ referent power.” Referent power is a quality held by an individual one finds admirable. So you consider buying that Honda, spend some time checking out the shoes at a Nike showroom, and click on that tagged Instagram account to peruse their sale section. You want to be smart and confident like them. Look down at your phone, and your favorite Instagram influencer has just posted a picture, tagging the chic local business they bought their outfit from. Turn to your right, and a poster of Michael Jordan in the newest Nike shoes stares right back at you. If you look in front, you’ll see a billboard of a popular celebrity advertising the newest version of a Honda Civic. Our world today is like a blown-up version of Times Square. Our consulting services Icon arrow right white color In our work, we leverage the insights of diverse fields-from psychology and economics to machine learning and behavioral data science-to sculpt targeted solutions to nuanced problems.