Even workers who like to explore creative solutions dont mind an autocratic leader when they are allowed to pitch new ideas or offer an alternative decision based on their personal experience. By the autocratic leadership principle, people who work in an autocratic organization or under an autocratic leader must accept the order, instruction, and command of the leader. However, according to Schaeffer (2002) autocratic leaders are not those who bully people needlessly. It also includes less feedback from the management levels. Do you have to be born with the correct qualities or can you be taught to be a good leader? 1. Additionally, a leader like this improves workplace efficiency by instructing staff members on what to do and how to meet deadlines. 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. Many analysts argue that late Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple Inc.), Elon Musk, and to some extent Bill Gates are autocratic leaders. Essentially, no one will be confused about the direction of a company or even the specific assignment they are working on. Because this leadership creates a system of dependence. They must make every decision for the team. The advantages of Autocratic Leadership are: 1. The first and foremost advantage of this type of leadership style is that it helps the company in making a quick decision as the decision is centralized with the leader. 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. To be effective, people need to work in an environment where there is a trusting partnership. If the results an autocratic leader achieves do not meet corporate expectations, then it can be difficult to correct the issue. Autocratic leadership is a suitable option for small-sized organizations where a single leader can handle all the matters easily. Autocratic leadership eliminates this issue because the command goes straight to the workers involved. Such leaders usually make decisions based on their own judgment and ideas. To be a great authentic leader, you should accept yourself for who you truly are. Due to this behaviour, the leader should yield the ultimate power and provide the employees with the motivation to work, i.e. Whatever approach is predominately used it will be vital to the success of the business. It is an easy way to cut through administrative red tape to ensure better communication to all workers. The competencies of the leader practicing autocratic leadership become the foundation for future success. Autocratic leadership, characterized by this centralized style of leadership, is an important concept in business, economics and politics. Likewise, Leona Helmsley of the Helmsley hotel chain andMartha Stewart of MSLO are also considered to have exercised this type of leadership style. This process may create a powerful and positive impact on their performance. and lack of staff initiative (2015). In this article, we outline some essential autocratic leadership pros and cons. 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 . This improves the speed of decisions because only one person is weighing the pros and cons of each choice, not a C-Suite. Advantages Quick decision making: This comes in handy when a leader is governing a small group or business. These types of leaders are known as democratic leaders and laissez-faire leaders, respectively. In time, this may result in fewer errors, which can provide a boost to revenues. 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. 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. The correct leadership approach used at the right time will foster a long-term employeeleader relationship. It creates a lack of feedback. ? Most autocratic leaders will not take the opinions, experiences, or knowledge of their team members into account when making decisions. But that is not the case always, there are many instances when autocratic leadership has proved itself a desirable option in the organizational setting. So, what are the autocratic leadership advantages and disadvantages? The communication in the autocratic leadership can be considered as "one-way" ( the manager say . Although creativity, independent thinking, and new processes are included as part of the overall leadership style, their implementation is not a top priority. Although they set their rules and regulations to control the team, they also play a significant role in eradicating employee stress. And, you know discipline is the key to achieving something. To bring in information to the group members. An autocratic leader makes decisions and communicates them on time, making sure that the team has all the information they need to finish the project on schedule. Autocratic leadership style ensures that a consistent message is sent from the centre to the employees at the bottom of the organisations. Though autocratic leadership style is often criticised, it is true that many historic autocratic leaders have been innovators who unleashed revolutions in different fields. 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 They arent required to wait for the feedback from senior managers or consult with a leadership team. Autocratic leadership involves absolute, authoritarian control over a group of people. Your email address will not be published. Business english 13. That is because there is one person and they are in charge of all arrangements. That means a decision is made on the timetable of the leader and no one else. Some are strict with their staff and like to be in complete control, whilst others are more relaxed and allow workers the freedom to run their own working lives (just like the different approaches you may see in teachers!). . However, they describe the disadvantages of this style as promoting staff defiance, lack of free . for the employees, too. This lack of adaptability within your workforce can . As only the leader makes decisions, the management may or may not provide feedback. People only thrive here is there is no investment in what they do. Autocratic leaders are able to handle a crisis situation easily because they are the ones who are in charge. Under autocratic leaders, subordinates would fear due to demands and expectations. Autocratic leadership refers to a form of leadership in which a leader takes choices without consulting others. The procedures and rules might seem rigid. Humans are by nature different from each other; still, experts try to categorize them into various segments. 1. This is because they do not consult any other members of their team, so they dont have to wait for other opinions or work through different perspectives to find an appropriate compromise. Over time, however, this leadership style creates mistrust within the workplace. They prefer to set their objectives, plan of action, processes and methods independently. St. Thomas University: What is Autocratic Leadership? An autocratic. 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. The biggest problem is, no one talks about innovation and out-of-the-box ideas in this leadership style. It can be a joyless experience for team members. Also, graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University with a BA in Business & Management Studies and completed a DTLLS (Diploma in Teaching in the Life-Long Learning Sector) from London South Bank University. Quick decision: Quick decision making is guaranteed because a single person decides for the whole group. However, this is not feasible for the majority of decisions taken by a business- indeed one of the criticisms of this style is that it can take longer to reach a decision. Advantages of Autocratic Leadership . 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. It is a leadership style that is very easy to learn. 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. Advantages of Autocratic Leadership Quick Decision Making. Provides a clear sense of direction Anyone who's worked on a class group project knows the value of having a leader. For example: When quick decisions are needed in a company (e.g. The main characteristics of autocratic leadership style are as follows: * Autocratic leaders make all the decisions and pass them down to the people under them for implementation. That makes it almost impossible for leaders to leave the workplace, as workers can become so dependent on their decision-making abilities that nothing gets done if the leader is not present for some reason. Autocratic leadership always encourages one-way communication to eliminate this problem. Subordinates are expected to comply with orders from their supervisors, who in turn are expected to comply with orders from their superiors. Advantages of autocratic leadership style. Required fields are marked *. in a time of crises). The autocratic leadership style does a good job of facilitating this process. What makes a good leader or manager? Professionals operating under this leadership can have lower confidence and slower decision-making skills. Although an autocratic leader can have a challenging personality, most employees prefer to work in an environment where there are clear expectations set for them. A team can become so dependent upon the leader that they stop functioning when their directions are no longer present. Dependent on the leader: Organizational success is entirely dependent on the leader and their ideas, which can endanger the stability of the organization. The following are some of the instances because of which autocratic leadership is not suitable. Employees, in turn, learn discipline and consistency from their leader. Employee morale can also be negatively affected when autocratic leadership is employed. This leaves little room for miscommunication and messages getting lost in transit. This is yet another of the several advantages of autocratic leadership style. You can be an authentic leader; you constantly grow and betters yourself. List of the Advantages of the Autocratic Leadership Style 1. As such, between them, there is no communication and you know communication is a must for a healthy relationship. * The leaders set rules, and systems for their team members. If you know anything about democratic leadership, you will know that it sounds better than autocracy. 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 . What is Laissez-Faire Leadership? Although their primary aim should be to achieve business goals, as leaders, it is also their responsibility to add value to employees. The ultimate democratic system occurs when decisions are made based on the majority view of all workers. 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. Many analysists also argue that this style usually leads to an absence of creative solutions to problems, which may ultimately hurt the group efforts. Removes employee stress. Definition, Features, Principles, and Cycle, What is TQM? Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages to consider with the autocratic leadership style. Hence, he ensures that the products manufactured and services rendered meet the desired quality benchmarks. Some are encouraging and collaborative, while others are commanding and dominating. There is just one person in charge. 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. December 28, 2021 by Raj Verdhan. Control in the group is minimal; authority is shared among members. List of the Disadvantages of a Democratic Leadership Style. When a company crisis occurs, a leader with authoritative traits can begin to call the shots to make immediate changes. 1. In such organizations, employees are highly experienced and knowledgeable and they tend to work in a democratic environment instead of an autocratic environment. 3. As autocratic leaders usually make decisions without consulting their team members, it may cause team members dislike towards the leadership. That need is generated by an overall lack of trust. Communication is the systematic process of passing information from one person to another. But, the results always lead to corporate success. Sources: 9. 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 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. 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. There are many qualities that are needed to be a good leader or manager. 3. This can mean the only employees who remain working with the company are unmotivated and even lazy individuals. Autocratic leaders tend to do well in these settings because they ensure that projects are finished on time and that workers follow safety rules to prevent accidents and injuries.