3. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages to consider with the autocratic leadership style. Characteristics of autocratic leadership include: According to St. Thomas University, few famous autocratic leadership examples include: Like all other leadership styles, autocratic leadership has its advantages as well as its drawbacks. Through close supervision and an emphasis on order and discipline, the autocratic leadership style allows everyone to focus on specific goals or targets to reach. Because the leaders opinion is the only opinion that matters in terms of strategic planning and decision-making, employees can feel frustrated that they cannot work in ways that suit them. Essentially, no one will be confused about the direction of a company or even the specific assignment they are working on. But, what is autocratic leadership? When an autocratic leadership style is used in these situations, then the control the policies and procedures provide encourage a deeper commitment to safety. It reduces the amount of group input received. This system leaves the employees stress-free. Every leadership style comes with some benefits and weaknesses. Study Notes Management Styles in a Business (GCSE) Study Notes Leadership Topic Videos Leadership Styles: Blake Mouton Managerial Grid Topic Videos Inexperienced teams can still produce experienced results. An autocratic leader is the sole authority in her company, on her team or at the head of the group she is tasked with leading. democratic leadership. Although this form of leadership is often found within the government, it is also present in some corporate structures as well. Some employees dont like the idea of being asked to make an important decision about the future of the company. The three commonly observed leadership . Even if the leader is not knowledgeable in the area, they are forced into a position where they must decide. This process may create a powerful and positive impact on their performance. These environments allow for an error margin of zero. Do you have a team of inexperienced employees? List of the Disadvantages of a Democratic Leadership Style. When there is an autocratic leadership established within an organization, there are fewer levels of administration that must be kept informed of each decision. It also explores the definitions of autocratic leadership style and provides the readers with a list of characteristics and examples of autocratic leaders from different fields. This is the foundation of a management style called transformational leadership, which pulls everyone in on major decisions, ensuring the entire team is personally invested in . In other styles, there is a risk that by the time employees receive the message, the entire original message could be lost or there could be multiple interpretations of the message that create confusion. Many analysists also argue that this style usually leads to an absence of creative solutions to problems, which may ultimately hurt the group efforts. Autocratic leaders are often charged with information movement. Motivation and reward for leaders Effective where a chain of command is crucial However, this does not mean you should be satisfied with your current self and avoid growth. However, excess control can also result in low employee morale and employee engagement. Individual decision making: Less competent sub-managers can be used only to carry out the orders of the boss. Under this type of leadership style there is no delay as the decision rests with a single authority and in times of crunch situation where a quick decision is needed . Advantages of Autocratic Leadership . Only the leader will weigh the pros and cons of every option instead of the entire C-suite. This leaves little room for miscommunication and messages getting lost in transit. Strict compliance becomes necessary. The autocratic style provides fast crisis management benefits. Full potential of subordinates and their creative ideas are not utilized. The leader is the only one who is in charge of the situation. 5. Some are encouraging and collaborative, while others are commanding and dominating. The retention rate can increase 4. Degrades trust and morale: Autocratic leadership discourages input, which can make teams feel like their ideas are ignored and they're unable to contribute. This lack of adaptability within your workforce can . An autocratic leadership style is similar to an authoritarian leadership style. There are many qualities that are needed to be a good leader or manager. Advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership pdf It would be a great world if everyone could work together cohesively, pushing a business to its desired goal. Leadership is critical in a changing business environment, where small and medi um sized companie s operat e, and even more whe n changes are amplifie d by transformations of a whole economy, like . Autocratic leaders make choices or decisions based on their own beliefs and do not involve others for their suggestion or advice. When controlling large numbers of low skilled workers. Khan et al. - They are in complete . On the other hand, employees are responsible for following instructions and meeting deadlines. Autocratic (or authoritarian) managers like to make all the important decisions and closely supervise and control workers. According to IPL.org, autocratic leadership is an extreme form of another kind of workplace leadership known as transactional leadership. For example, a communication style that can be considered barking orders can be critical in high-stakes environments, like among paramedics, but destructive in collaborative environments like university departments. The manager will however make the actual decisions (in the best interests of the workers) as they believe the staff still need direction and in this way it is still somewhat of an autocratic approach. Likewise, as an autocratic leader is not necessarily the same as being a fascist, there are people with certain personalities, who may indeed work well under this type of leadership style (Murphy, 2019). He is a lecturer in Management and Marketing. In some situations, this leadership . Autocratic leadership, characterized by this centralized style of leadership, is an important concept in business, economics and politics. The leader shares defined roles and patterns of work with the employees. Whether this style makes a good leader has been a longstanding debate. And what are. Definition and Pros/Cons, Demings 14 Points For Quality Management [Explained], What is Deming Management? So, what are the autocratic leadership advantages and disadvantages? The Disadvantages of Laissez-Faire Leadership. Be able to think creatively to provide a vision for the company and solve problems Be calm under pressure and make clear decisions Possess excellent two-way communication skills Have the desire to achieve great things The leader is the only person to take the decision solely as they are in charge . Faster decision-making is the key to attaining organizational goals. Starting Business: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Autocratic Leadership, IPL.org: The Challenges of Autocratic Leadership Styles in Organizations and Individuals, Risk Vs. As with other leadership styles, there are autocratic leadership advantages and disadvantages that can have a significant impact on a leader's employees . The communication in the autocratic leadership can be considered as "one-way" ( the manager say . Managers do not trust workers and simply give orders (one-way communication) that they expect to be obeyed. Moreover, they also like to enjoy the credit for the projects success, leaving the employees disheartened. Did you ever tell him about your awesome weekend? To be effective, people need to work in an environment where there is a trusting partnership. It is one of the best advantages of autocratic leadership. Leaders are of different types. Faster decision-making is the key to attaining organizational goals. The autocratic leadership style means that the person in charge has the entire control upon all decision making. They must control the consistency at a personal level, which means they can no longer afford to give their team any freedom to operate. For example: When quick decisions are needed in a company (e.g. It gets even worse if workers can voice an opinion that is never utilized. What makes a good leader or manager? However, there are some advantages of autocratic leadership as well. The lack of flexibility in environments headed by autocratic leaders can drive creative and motivated employees away. This is beneficial to reduce role ambiguity among the employees. Most of the time Mr. Worth was absent from the rest of the employees, he communicated through his assistant. This is yet another of the several, advantages of autocratic leadership style. new data says yes, available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2019/11/24/does-anyone-actually-like-autocratic-leaders-new-data-says-yes/?sh=bd0ef4e10de5 (accessed 06 April 2021), Schaeffer, L. (2002) The leadership journey, available at: https://hbr.org/2002/10/the-leadership-journey (accessed 06 April 2021), St Thomas University (2018) What is Autocratic Leadership? It increases the work burden for the leader. That reduces the productivity available, and eventually leads to declining morale. Due to this behaviour, the leader should yield the ultimate power and provide the employees with the motivation to work, i.e. Since organisation is key to a well-operated business, autocratic leadership can prove useful in situations where the organisation could advance within the company. Under autocratic leaders, subordinates would fear due to demands and expectations. Their expertise becomes an asset to the company, even being able to fill-in during a shortfall to immediately correct a problem in virtually any situation. Additionally, a leader like this improves workplace efficiency by instructing staff members on what to do and how to meet deadlines. Leaders must assume that their workers are not performing as they should, which requires their direct supervision to ensure results happen. Your email address will not be published. One of the benefits of autocratic leadership is that it can help an inexperienced team achieve goals that they wouldn't be able to do alone. That means a decision is made on the timetable of the leader and no one else. There are many qualities that are needed to be a good leader or manager. Pros of autocratic leadership But it becomes ineffective in large and diversified organizations. outline the advantages of this style, such as increased situational control, discipline over workers, short discussions, and group members knowing their roles and tasks. If that leader does not create a fair working environment, then it is difficult for any employees to change that environment. St. Thomas University: What is Autocratic Leadership? Leadership styles There are many ways to lead and every leader has his or her own style. A military leader who cannot make executive decisions can cause a security breach during critical operations, and military personnel who do not receive clear, direct orders from their leaders can become confused and fail to act when necessary. One of the other notable cons of the autocratic leadership style is that there is a poor relationship between the leader and followers. If you liked any of these articles, please feel free to share with others by clicking on the social sharing icons. One of the primary characteristics of autocratic leadership is a clearly defined chain of command. In addition, in this style of leadership, managers don't take care of the opinions of their staff and ore not open to changes. The biggest problem is, no one talks about innovation and out-of-the-box ideas in this leadership style. Autocratic leaders have the opportunity to take full control, responsibility and stress and build and maintain a productive operation. With a clear corporate hierarchy in place, every member of the organization knows not only who they report to, but who their boss reports to. Although in authoritarian leadership, there is one-way communication there also exists effective communication. To conclude, though autocratic leadership style has several disadvantages, it can be argued that there are some situations autocratic leadership style should yield better results for organisations. If an autocratic leader is put in charge of an inexperienced team, theyll be able to get the job done by outlining specific instructions to follow. So, there are. If there is a short-term problem, the expertise of the leader can be used to create a solution. What is the cons of autocratic leadership? Every crisis or decision lies on their shoulders. Let's explore whether an autocratic leadership style is the right one for you: Benefits of Autocratic Leadership Style. Autocratic leaders are like the captain of the ship. Inexperienced employees need a detailed layout and instructions to complete taskstraits an autocratic leader is known for. They can easily manage these issues because theyre the only ones who get to call the shots. This ensures that employees are exercising best of their abilities to get the job done, and time and other resources are not wasted. Copyright 2017 2025. Employees, in turn, learn discipline and consistency from their leader. As such people working under autocratic leaders are supposed to accept the guidance or orders of their leader without any disagreement. St. Thomas University: What is Democratic/Participative Leadership? The competencies of the leader practicing autocratic leadership become the foundation for future success. When the autocratic leadership style is used with an inexperienced team, the experience of the leader can replace the skill gap that is present.

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