To explore the specific types of power that emerge in the communication messages chief executive officers (CEOs) use when interacting with others--particularly superiors, peers, and subordinates--15 CEOs were asked to respond to three hypothetical situations. During 60-minute tape-recorded interviews, they were asked what they would say to influence other members of the organization to agree with their view. They were aked to respond to the situation in terms of what they would say and not what they would do. The interviews were then submitted to coders to be subdivided and classified according to power types. Results indicated that coercive, expert, legitimate, and referent power were used by the CEOs quite evenly, while reward power was used significantly less than the other forms of power. CEOs used more expert power and less legitimate power when communicating upwardly/horizontally than referent and coercive power. Conversely, CEOs used more legitimate power and less expert power than coercive and referent power when communicating downwardly. (Author/HOD)