There are many qualities that are needed to be a good leader or manager. Home Pros and Cons 11 Autocratic Leadership Advantages and Disadvantages. Key points of Advantages of autocratic leadership Highlights below: It allows for a fast decision to be made. Although in authoritarian leadership, there is one-way communication there also exists effective communication. the us american football coach vince lombardi is an example. for the employees, too. Workers can benefit from the competencies offered by their leader, replicating productivity by using the leaders knowledge and experience as a workplace asset. List of Advantages of Autocracy Government 1. List of the Disadvantages of a Democratic Leadership Style. One of the primary characteristics of autocratic leadership is a clearly defined chain of command. Laissez-Faire. With little or no input by their subordinates, autocratic leaders are free to make decisions, define policies and direct work wherever they feel is most effective. That creates a positive impact on the work environment, which leads to more accurate work and consistent production. As such, here, every employee is abiding by strict discipline. It allows for fast decisions to be made. 5. They get to take all the credit for the work that gets done. Working with a supervisor who makes all expectations clear and specifies exactly how to perform tasks can make the process of acclimating to a new work environment much easier for the employee. However, this does not mean you should be satisfied with your current self and avoid growth. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); At BokasTutor, We aim to provide easy and insightful explanations on different topics of disciplines like Management, Marketing, Finance, Business, and Entrepreneurship. This can lead to burnout. However, excess control can also result in low employee morale and employee engagement. Autocratic leaders make choices or decisions based on their own beliefs and do not involve others for their suggestion or advice. And, you know discipline is the key to achieving something. Managers must be willing to encourage leadership skills in subordinates. Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, is a style of leadership characterized by direct, top-down communication and commands. When a company crisis occurs, a leader with authoritative traits can begin to call the shots to make immediate changes. When an autocratic leadership style is used in these situations, then the control the policies and procedures provide encourage a deeper commitment to safety. And what are autocratic leadership pros and cons? Study notes, videos, interactive activities and more! St. Thomas University: What is Autocratic Leadership? 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. The democratic leadership style does solicit for opinions, perspectives, and experiences. advantages of democratic leadership. Essentially, no one will be confused about the direction of a company or even the specific assignment they are working on. Managers deal with their employees in different ways. Pros of autocratic leadership Advantages of Autocratic Leadership Quick Decision Making. Employees who prefer some authority and decision-making powers in the team might not appreciate autocratic leadership. But rarely do employees know that there are several. They use their personal experiences to form rules or regulations that translate into step-by-step instructions for workers to follow. You may also like reading Advantages and disadvantages of private limited company. These were the autocratic leadership style advantages and disadvantages. When there is an autocratic leadership established within an organization, there are fewer levels of administration that must be kept informed of each decision. support and direction. Within autocratic structures, there may not be anyone who has the authority to make a rogue leader accountable to the company to stop their behavior. 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. Do you have a team of inexperienced employees? Such a group process usually, takes a longer time to come to decision. It may impair the morale of the group. 2. Autocratic leadership is . Advantages. 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. The employees have clear and strict job descriptions and know what to do and what is expected of them. But, what is autocratic leadership? It also includes less feedback from the management levels. 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. Only the leader will weigh the pros and cons of every option instead of the entire C-suite. 3. This system leaves the employees stress-free. The competencies of the leader practicing autocratic leadership become the foundation for future success. Autocratic leaders do not take input from other members of a team in their decisions. For employees, an environment where decision-making is solely the managers job can mean a relatively low stress environment. Autocratic leadership is an exchange process, so it is a matter of contingent reinforcement of staff based on performances. As in an autocratic organization, a single leader is involved in decision-making, he makes decisions based on his own logic and judgment. Some of the more common styles include autocratic, bureaucratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. The theory, which is generally linked with autocratic leadership, assumes employees don't like to work and tend to focus on fulfilling self-interests. However, this leadership style become less effective in large organizations. Advantages of autocratic leadership style Many leaders use autocratic leadership style to establish centralised control in exercising the decision-making authority and use that control to accomplish the desired results. Provides a clear sense of direction Anyone who's worked on a class group project knows the value of having a leader. 1. If the results an autocratic leader achieves do not meet corporate expectations, then it can be difficult to correct the issue. They arent required to wait for the feedback from senior managers or consult with a leadership team. . In a system of dependence, an autocratic leadership style creates a lack of trust between you and your workers. It means employees who are extremely skilled or motivated may begin to lose their incentives to stay active under the current leadership creating conflict in the organisations. He has the sole authority to command, direct, and instruct all the team members. Find out more. An autocratic leader is well-equipped to deal with a crisis situation. That means a decision is made on the timetable of the leader and no one else. It also creates hardships for the leader because they may get blamed for the actions of a worker when that worker was told to do something completely different. Autocratic leadership involves absolute, authoritarian control over a group of people. The Disadvantages of Laissez-Faire Leadership. Definition and Pros/Cons, Demings 14 Points For Quality Management [Explained], What is Deming Management? This is beneficial to reduce role ambiguity among the employees. It can be a joyless experience for team members. It leads to quick decision-making, control over the processes and the operations of a company, etc. Definition, Types, Reasons, and Ways To Overcome, What is Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle? In addition, in this style of leadership, managers don't take care of the opinions of their staff and ore not open to changes. Such strict discipline ensures timely work completion of the organization. Do you know why? Advantages of autocratic leadership style. As such people working under autocratic leaders are supposed to accept the guidance or orders of their leader without any disagreement. 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 . Because this leadership creates a system of dependence. According to Startingbusiness.com, a significant drawback to working with an autocratic leader is the lack of flexibility in the workplace. Advantages Autocratic style of leadership is very effective in times of emergency or stress since people will always work from orders or commands of their leaders. Autocratic leaders are often charged with information movement. Decisions can be made faster with this leadership style. The style is closely linked with Mayo's Human Relation view of motivation and also the social needs of Maslow. When a team leaders style can be summarized with my way or the highway, that leader can accurately be called an autocrat. They may also feel that the leadership does not care about their needs and desires which is unproductive for organisations. Copyright 2017 2025. Employees do not get recognition for their efforts. You must have seen people with varied working styles, ways of talking, and traits. And when it comes to long-term issues, autocratic leaders know how to direct traffic through the hierarchies. They, therefore, make all the strategic decisions without any or extremely little inputs from the people who work under them. What is autocratic leadership and its advantages? This approach derives from the views of Taylor as to how to motivate workers and relates to McGregor's theory X view of workers. Disadvantages: Although some managers adopt democratic leadership, it is just to please their subordinates but they do not follow the technique fully. Although they set their rules and regulations to control the team, they also play a significant role in eradicating employee stress. 7. There can be a lack of accountability within its structures. Many companies tend to turn to an autocratic leadership style when they need to create short-term results in an urgent way. This can be beneficial for organizations that need to maintain a strong sense of control and predictability. The following are some of the instances because of which autocratic leadership is not suitable. The manager respects employees' insight and asks them to help make the best decision, and the team respects the leader's ability to ultimately make the right call after considering their viewpoints. When an autocratic leader becomes burnt out and cannot fulfill their duties, the rest of the team is often ill-equipped to step in and take the lead because they have never been in that position before. Employees, in turn, learn discipline and consistency from their leader. Autocratic leadership style works better in situations where swift decisions are needed. Humans are by nature different from each other; still, experts try to categorize them into various segments. In high-pressure, high-stakes situations like buying and selling real estate, an autocratic leader who has the knowledge necessary to make profitable choices can be a companys greatest asset. Many autocratic leaders turn into severe micromanagers, making it difficult for workers to do their job because theyre always forced to report on what they are doing at any given moment. They are the managerial equivalent of an emergency room surgeon who is forced to do whatever necessary to save a patients life. This helps to resolve the emergencies rather effectively when compared to other leadership styles. Among all the recognized autocratic leadership strengths and weaknesses, perhaps one of the most prominent is that this leadership style can cause employees to resent their leader and even their organization. This system leaves the employees stress-free. In such organizations, employees are highly experienced and knowledgeable and they tend to work in a democratic environment instead of an autocratic environment. Inexperienced employees need a detailed layout and instructions to complete taskstraits an autocratic leader is known for. But it becomes ineffective in large and diversified organizations. Unfortunately, they might not appreciate the advice of their team members. Autocratic Leadership. This leadership style makes it difficult to correct poor results. There are high levels of frustration often found in an autocratic environment, even if workers are inexperienced. They know themselves very well and try to bring people together to achieve the organisational goals. It is most likely that well-known leaders or managers are successful due to a combination of personal characteristics and good training. All operations, methods, processes and delegations are decided by the autocratic leader and only by him. But, this lacks in autocratic organizations. The three commonly observed leadership . Do you have to be born with the correct qualities or can you be taught to be a good leader? In fact, some characteristics of autocratic leadership can be considered advantages in some situations and drawbacks in others. Whether this style makes a good leader has been a longstanding debate. In this article, we outline some essential autocratic leadership pros and cons. Subordinates tend to shirk responsibility and initiative. This requires good two-way communication and often involves democratic discussion groups, which can offer useful suggestions and ideas. Explains that autocratic leadership is a style often associated with the world of sports. advantages of the autocratic leadership style, autocratic leadership style advantages and disadvantages. VAT reg no 816865400. In this type of leadership, the rules and procedures that teams use are quite rigid. Faster decision-making Read more about each of these advantages in detail in our separate post: Laissez-Faire Leadership Advantages. Although their primary aim should be to achieve business goals, as leaders, it is also their responsibility to add value to employees. So, what are the autocratic leadership advantages and disadvantages? Faster Decision-making Proponents of this government form claim that having one ruler or person to decide on matters concerning a nation and without distractions and influences of others make it easier for the leader to make sound decisions he or she thinks works for the interest of the country. 4. 8. What is the cons of autocratic leadership? There is no doubt that laissez-faire can bring significant disadvantages to an organisation - especially where conditions are not conducive to such a liberal style of management. An autocratic leader is not wishy-washy or passive aggressive; an autocratic leader makes expectations and the consequences for not meeting them clear from the outset. The idea here is that with a centralised control, giving guidance and direction to employees is relatively easy. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. - They don't have group members, they have followers. Advantages of charismatic leadership style. Even if low-skill tasks need to get done, it is the leaders responsibility to make sure someone makes copies, gets coffee, or files documents properly. We hope the article Advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership style has been helpful. The decision can be made faster with this leadership style. 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. 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. But rarely do employees know that there are several benefits of autocratic leadership. By the time the information reaches the front-line employees doing most of the work, the entire original message could be lost. When this happens, productivity levels tend to decrease over time instead of increase. An autocratic leadership style is similar to an authoritarian leadership style. At the end of the day, the autocratic leader is like the captain of a ship: every decision is a weight on their shoulders and they are ultimately responsible for what happens. and lack of staff initiative (2015). send our content editing team a message here, 11 Office Closed Due to Inclement Weather Messages, 50 Most Asked Nursing Interview Questions with Answers, 20 Best Answers to Why Do You Want to Leave Your Current Job, 10 Best Answers to Why Do You Want to Be a Manager, 11 Best Answers to What Does Leadership Mean to You Interview Question, 50 Most Asked Front Desk Interview Questions with Answers, 10 Best Ways to Answer Sell Me This Pen in an Interview, 10 Most Asked Integrity Interview Questions with Answers, 25 Most Asked Confidentiality Interview Questions with Answers, 50 Most Asked Phone Interview Questions with Answers, 10 Best Answers to What Are Your Interests and Hobbies. There may be dangerous situations or working environments which require complicated tasks to be completed. Although this form of leadership is often found within the government, it is also present in some corporate structures as well. Because of the vertical or one-way communication channel subordinates do not get the opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts. Charismatic leaders usually display a great level of confidence to convince a large audience. It can create negative emotions. When there is an autocratic leadership established within an organization, there are fewer levels of administration that must be kept informed of each decision. If they face a decision in the work they are doing, they are almost forced to go to the leader for advice on what to do instead of making the decision on their own. It is a style which dictates how people are supposed to work. But this might not be possible with an autocratic leadership style. People who rely on this leadership style are often viewed as dictators or bossy. Leader Dependence. Most of the time Mr. Worth was absent from the rest of the employees, he communicated through his assistant. These types of leaders are known as democratic leaders and laissez-faire leaders, respectively. Second, autocratic leadership gives the leader an enormous amount of power in deciding how the team operates, but this also means increasing responsibility and accountability. These types of interactions do not create a sustainable working relationship, which ultimately creates productivity problems as workers experience lower morale levels. Instead of there being a democratic process for teams, there are no group positions of leadership with the autocratic style. Most autocratic leaders will not take the opinions, experiences, or knowledge of their team members into account when making decisions. Often, autocratic leaders are referred to as micromanagers. 8. Managers with this type of leadership style, keep a close eye on what is happening in their organisations. To be effective, people need to work in an environment where there is a trusting partnership. Most autocratic leaders do not consider the opinions or abilities of their staff members while making decisions. That reduces the productivity available, and eventually leads to declining morale. Leaders are of different types. Though autocratic leadership style is often criticised, it is true that many historic autocratic leaders have been innovators who unleashed revolutions in different fields. Faster decision-making is the key to attaining organizational goals. The laissez-faire or free reign leader scarcely provides direction to his team members. 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. Open lines of communication ensure that everyone on the team is working toward the same goal. This is one of the autocratic leader strengths and weaknesses that is highly dependent on the workplace environment. Downsides of Autocratic Leadership While autocratic leadership can be beneficial at times, there are also many instances where this leadership style can be problematic. There may be situations when leaders are less qualified than their subordinates. 214 High Street, Did you know that autocratic leadership is great when it comes to handling crises? When an autocratic leader is consistent with their ethics and is determined to create a fair working environment, then there can be a lot of positives for workers in a company. But, in an autocratic environment, there is no employee participation and their concerns are ignored. Management & Leadership Styles | Autocratic, Democratic, Paternalistic, Laissez- Faire and More Two Teachers 16K subscribers Subscribe 224 Share Save 27K views 3 years ago Business Studies Videos. But, the results always lead to corporate success. Autocratic leaders are like the captain of the ship. That means workers who are highly skilled or motivated begin to lose their incentives to stay active under this leadership structure. Unlike, group decision-making the autocratic leader does not have to decide with his followers. This creates more speed, better productivity, and enhanced efficiencies within the workplace. Such times require a leader with the ability to give instructions or guide and direct to those under his or her authority. Control in the group is minimal; authority is shared among members. This form serves well when the . Autocratic leadership always encourages one-way communication to eliminate this problem. Autocratic leaders are in charge and they make this fact known. The correct leadership approach used at the right time will foster a long-term employeeleader relationship. 1. Consequence in Leadership Styles, The Disadvantages of Emotional Leadership, Clear separation of leader and subordinate roles, Clearly defined performance expectations for all team members, Consequences for failure to comply with expectations, Specific processes for performing workplace tasks, Strict adherence to established rules and policies, Tom Petty, founder of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Helen Gurley Brown, former editor-in-chief of, Ridley Scott, critically acclaimed filmmaker, Vince Lombardi, former Green Bay Packers coach. Autocratic leadership, however, has. In the paternalistic form, the core characteristics of this leadership style are used, with an added emphasis on worker wellbeing as part of the experience. And they are accountable for the outcomes. Attner, R. and Plunkett, W. (1994) Introduction to management, 5th edition, California: Wadsworth, Inc. Murphy, M. (2019) Does anyone actually like autocratic leaders? Here are the top advantages of autocratic leadership: Faster Decision-making This leadership style enables quick decision-making, which is one of the most significant benefits of autocratic leadership. An Autocratic or authoritarian leadership style will comprise of dictates and orders like telling aides what is to be done and how is something supposed to be done. 1. Faster decision-making is the key to attaining organizational goals. Pros Since autocratic leadership ensures clearly defined structures, it clearly states what to do and how to do it. That means workers tend to not take ownership of the work they do because there is no incentive to do so. Disadvantages: This approach has limitations (as highlighted by other motivational theorists such as Mayo and Herzberg) but it can be effective in certain situations. It will also highlight team members that have strong creative skills and those that do not. The leader will need to create the system, with all the rules and procedures, in which the team uses to operate and reach goals. In some situations, this leadership . Autocratic leaders have imperious or commanding personalities. The autocratic leadership style should not be used when: Employees become tense, fearful, or resentful Employees expect to have their opinions heard Employees begin depending on their manager to make all their decisions There is low employee morale, high turnover and absenteeism 2.1.1 Advantages of Autocratic Style of Leadership That means there is a priority on consistency, with each team member performing their job functions in a similar way. Degrades trust and morale: Autocratic leadership discourages input, which can make teams feel like their ideas are ignored and they're unable to contribute. The employee doesnt have to worry about anything beyond performing their job duties properly, and for many employees, this is much less mentally taxing than an environment where they're expected to pitch ideas and weigh in on business strategies. Characteristics of autocratic leadership style. Advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership style. As autocratic leaders usually make decisions without consulting their team members, it may cause team members dislike towards the leadership. In addition, normally, inexperienced employees are rules followers. Many analysts argue that late Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple Inc.), Elon Musk, and to some extent Bill Gates are autocratic leaders. Autocratic leadership always encourages one-way communication to eliminate this problem. Let's explore whether an autocratic leadership style is the right one for you: Benefits of Autocratic Leadership Style. In workplaces where the employees are largely young and inexperienced, autocratic leadership can be the most effective approach. According to Attner and Plunkett (1994) managers who use the autocratic leadership style do not share decision-making authority with their subordinates. To bring in information to the group members. Autocratic leadership refers to a form of leadership in which a leader takes choices without consulting others. autocratic leadership advantages and disadvantages? Bad leaders can put a company out of business. 7. This improves the speed of decisions because only one person is weighing the pros and cons of each choice, not a C-Suite. 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.
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