This working environment can leave employees feeling suppressed. They arent required to wait for the feedback from senior managers or consult with a leadership team. 3. Analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the autocratic leadership style by examining examples of leaders and companies. That consistency leads toward corporate success. Disadvantages of autocratic leadership style. They are the managerial equivalent of an emergency room surgeon who is forced to do whatever necessary to save a patients life. When controlling large numbers of low skilled workers. These types of leaders are known as democratic leaders and laissez-faire leaders, respectively. - encourages independence and creativity. The cadets were fresh and were eager to learn, my Commanding Officer told me to do the "traditional" way of welcoming the cadets, this in fact is very beneficial to me and us because it instill dis. For long-term issues, the autocratic leader can direct traffic in specific ways with more efficiency than a C-Suite, creating solutions that can quickly move an organization out of a troublesome state. In this article, we outline some essential autocratic leadership pros and cons. ? So, there are advantages of the autocratic leadership style for the employees, too. 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. Strict compliance becomes necessary. 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. 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. However, according to Schaeffer (2002) autocratic leaders are not those who bully people needlessly. 3. When there is clear direction, with a path toward success, offered to workers, then they are able to focus on productivity instead of problem solving. Motivation and reward for leaders: It provides strong motivation and reward for the leader. As such, it becomes the right choice for employees who thrive when they are told what to do. They just want to come to work, do what theyre told, then go home at the end of the day with a paycheck. The leader is the only person to take the decision solely as they are in charge . Autocratic leaders generally could use organizational . It creates focused targets for everyone. This system leaves the employees stress-free. They wont get blamed if it fails and they wont get credit if it succeeds. In a system of dependence, an autocratic leadership style creates a lack of trust between you and your workers. 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. But it becomes ineffective in large and diversified organizations. Autocratic Leadership Advantages and Disadvantages: Advantages: It allows for fast decisions to be made: - An autocratic leadership includes fewer levels of administration levels that are to be informed. Contrast this with an autocratic leader, who does not ask their team for their input when making a decision. This can mean the only employees who remain working with the company are unmotivated and even lazy individuals. 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. The second involves a leader refusing to take responsibility for work they personally instructed a worker to complete. If yes, then the best way to manage such teams is through autocratic leadership. Do you know why? Autocratic leaders have imperious or commanding personalities. That means the personal morality of the leader becomes the corporate reality of the business. Degrades trust and morale: Autocratic leadership discourages input, which can make teams feel like their ideas are ignored and they're unable to contribute. These benefits of autocratic leadership can swiftly take the team out of trouble. The result is a more consistent and accurate output. 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 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. Autocracy in the workplace also results in high employee turnover. Although their primary aim should be to achieve business goals, as leaders, it is also their responsibility to add value to employees. They can replicate results because they are given specific instructions to follow. It also includes less feedback from the management levels. There is also less feedback from various levels of management which must be processed. In a negative work environment, they also have the power to micromanage, enforce employee dependence, bully and generally mistreat their team. It creates moments of insecurity within the leadership. There are numerous autocratic leadership strengths and weaknesses and sometimes, a characteristic thats a strength in one scenario is a weakness in another. 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. You can be an authentic leader; you constantly grow and betters yourself. In, laissez-faire leadership leader gives all power to his subordinates to act on their own. It creates a lack of feedback. Now, she's focusing her writing on helping other small business owners and people planning to become small business owners navigate this crazy thing we call entrepreneurship. Autocratic leadership A leadership style in which leaders dictate without consultation of subordinates. The Advantages of the Laissez-Faire Leadership Style Here is a list of the pros of the Laissez-Faire Leadership style: 1. Attner, R. and Plunkett, W. (1994) Introduction to management, 5th edition, California: Wadsworth, Inc. Murphy, M. (2019) Does anyone actually like autocratic leaders? Likewise, this style is also very effective when astringent synchronisation of processes is essential to productivity. - the leader respects other peoples opinions and feedback. For example, the team will have a clear vision of expectations and where their project and company is going. The correct leadership approach used at the right time will foster a long-term employeeleader relationship. Communication is the systematic process of passing information from one person to another. The autocratic leadership style means that the person in charge has the entire control upon all decision making. 1. In . That means leaders using this style tend to be busier than other leaders. Unfortunately, they might not appreciate the advice of their team members. 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. What leads to a successful working relationship is an ability of workers to have trust in their leaders, and vice-versa. 1. Despite facing criticism, there are some tangible benefits that an autocratic leader brings to the company. Here are the top advantages of autocratic leadership: This leadership style enables quick decision-making, which is one of the most significant benefits of autocratic leadership. Advantages Quick decision making: This comes in handy when a leader is governing a small group or business. And when it comes to long-term issues, autocratic leaders know how to direct traffic through the hierarchies. Do you have a team of inexperienced employees? Autocratic leadership is an exchange process, so it is a matter of contingent reinforcement of staff based on performances. It increases the work burden for the leader. 8. Because autocratic leaders are able to move information throughout an organization quickly, there are fewer delays in productivity. 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. If the leader offers questionable ethics, however, and refuses to create fairness, then there is no one who can really hold that person accountable. Autocratic leaders are able to handle a crisis situation easily because they are the ones who are in charge. From Disabled and $500k in Debt to a Pro Blogger with 5 Million Monthly Visitors, 11 Autocratic Leadership Advantages and Disadvantages, Leaders Eat Last Speed Summary: 15 Core Principles, Extreme Ownership Speed Summary (3 Minutes) w/ PDF, Good to Great Speed Summary: 15 Core Principles of, "From Disabled and $500k in Debt to a Pro Blogger with 5 Million Monthly Visitors. Workers become dependent on someone else to make decisions. Some people dont like the idea of coming up with new ideas. And what are. When the leader is the only person in the organization who makes decisions and determines the companys strategy, they can easily feel overwhelmed. We hope the article Advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership style has been helpful. 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. Did you know that autocratic leadership is great when it comes to handling crises? 1. But, this lacks in autocratic organizations. The leader shares defined roles and patterns of work with the employees. There Is No Room for Flexibility. Autocratic leadership is a suitable option for small-sized organizations where a single leader can handle all the matters easily. Autocratic leadership is suitable when the organization is small. They can easily manage these issues because they're the only ones who get to call the shots. Inexperienced employees lack the ability to understand the outlined rules and regulations of the organization. Employees do not get recognition for their efforts. The Disadvantages of Impulsive Management, Management Styles That Elevate vs. Devalue Employees. Your email address will not be published. While the advantages and disadvantages of leadership styles are not always readily apparent, one thing is certain - being decisive while avoiding autocratic leadership tactics is necessary for successful leaders and negotiators alike. The leader does not have to deal with internal politics or disputes at the decision-making stage. Autocratic leaders cant make trust a priority because they are forced to make the rules be the priority. List of the Disadvantages of a Democratic Leadership Style. Advantages of autocratic leadership Quick Decisions Close Oversight Total Control Streamlined Work Process Easy to Learn The autocratic, or "do this or else," type of leadership is intuitive Good for Inexperienced or Unmotivated Workers./Bad for Highly Skilled and Motivated Workers. Advantages of autocratic 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. Employees feel motivated and devote their maximum effort when they feel valued for their presence and contribution. Contrary to popular opinions, many organisations are well suited to the autocratic leadership type at some degree. This is an advantage because team members can continue projects, move deadlines, and remove obstacles that could negatively impact their overall productivity. Fewer layers of administration and lesser feedback to look into facilitates swift decision-making in the team. Leaders are of different types. By the time the information reaches the front-line employees doing most of the work, the entire original message could be lost. It is most likely that well-known leaders or managers are successful due to a combination of personal characteristics and good training. . Copyright 2017 2025. Such a group process usually, takes a longer time to come to decision. 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). Inexperienced employees need a detailed layout and instructions to complete taskstraits an autocratic leader is known for. The work culture is based solely on the ethics and morality of the leader, which means a poor working environment is not likely to change. If you liked any of these articles, please feel free to share with others by clicking on the social sharing icons. We all had, in one job or another, a boss who was feared by everyone. 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. But, what is autocratic leadership? If team members are unfamiliar with the process or tasks, leaders are better off taking a more hands-on approach. St. Thomas University: What is Autocratic Leadership? The procedures and rules might seem rigid. However, they describe the disadvantages of this style as promoting staff defiance, lack of free . Autocratic leaders are in charge and they make this fact known. It can create negative emotions. Likewise, Leona Helmsley of the Helmsley hotel chain andMartha Stewart of MSLO are also considered to have exercised this type of leadership style. 7. 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, Be well informed and knowledgeable about matters relating to the business. This approach derives from the views of Taylor as to how to motivate workers and relates to McGregor's theory X view of workers. This process may create a powerful and positive impact on their performance. 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. 6. As autocratic leaders usually make decisions without consulting their team members, it may cause team members dislike towards the leadership. Leaders are of different types. Lindsay Kramer has been a small business owner since 2014. He is a lecturer in Management and Marketing. Although they set their rules and regulations to control the team, they also play a significant role in eradicating employee stress. 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. All rights reserved LCHW. Autocratic leaders are often micromanagers. One of the primary characteristics of autocratic leadership is a clearly defined chain of command. This detailed article sheds light on some of the advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership style. It is one of the biggest, advantages of the autocratic leadership style, Faster decision-making and quick information-sharing can help boost the teams productivity. It can also mean workers personal needs are neglected, causing them to feel like their supervisor does not care about them as individuals. Autocratic leadership is a type of leadership that is individual-centric. This form serves well when the . . The leader is the only one who is in charge of the situation. This creates more speed, better productivity, and enhanced efficiencies within the workplace. 8. This improves the speed of decisions because only one person is weighing the pros and cons of each choice, not a C-Suite. 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 . 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. Good leaders can produce great results. SWOT Analysis of Kelloggs (Kellogg Company), https://www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2019/11/24/does-anyone-actually-like-autocratic-leaders-new-data-says-yes/?sh=bd0ef4e10de5, https://hbr.org/2002/10/the-leadership-journey. Autocratic leadership, characterized by this centralized style of leadership, is an important concept in business, economics and politics. But, in an autocratic environment, there is no employee participation and their concerns are ignored. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages to consider with the autocratic leadership style. To be effective, people need to work in an environment where there is a trusting partnership. Communication is the systematic process of passing information from one person to another. Advantages and Disadvantages of Autocratic Leadership: The advantages of Autocratic leadership are that it allows for fast and effective decisions in a crisis situation, this is due to the ability of make quick decisions without having to discuss amongst team members which wastes valuable time. Autocratic leadership is defined by a top-down approach when it comes to all decision-making, procedures, and policies within an organization. Starting Business: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Autocratic Leadership, IPL.org: The Challenges of Autocratic Leadership Styles in Organizations and Individuals, Risk Vs. There is nothing complicated about the autocratic leadership style. When there isnt enough time to learn something new or a project must be completed rapidly, this type of leadership is the best option. It is one of the best. A democratic style of management will put trust in employees and encourage them to make decisions. 4. Autocratic leadership style ensures that a consistent message is sent from the centre to the employees at the bottom of the organisations. To be a great authentic leader, you should accept yourself for who you truly are. But this might not be possible with an autocratic leadership style. 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. 2. The employees need not wait for the thumbs up from seniors or ask for a deadline extension if they can get all the approvals and data on time. Decentralisation and Leadership Styles (AQA Paper 1 2019, Q20) Exam Support What is leadership? Though autocratic leadership style is often criticised, it is true that many historic autocratic leaders have been innovators who unleashed revolutions in different fields. But rarely do employees know that there are several. Safeguarding Mental Health in the Gig Economy Strengths of Laissez-Faire Leaders The retention rate can increase 4. Employees, in turn, learn discipline and consistency from their leader. That is because there is one person and they are in charge of all arrangements. Professionals operating under this leadership can have lower confidence and slower decision-making skills. Managers are interested in how happy workers feel and in many ways they act as a father figure (pater means father in Latin). According to St. Thomas University, democratic leadership is defined by mutual respect between the manager and their team members. He holds an MSc in Tourism & Hospitality from the University of Sunderland. More Cautious Because of the vertical or one-way communication channel subordinates do not get the opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts. The result is an unhappy workforce. support and direction. It removes the pressure on the employees. Autocratic leaders are like the captain of the ship. 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. List of Advantages of Autocracy Government 1. The autocratic leadership style is highly dependent upon the leader. Advantages of Autocratic Leadership . 2002-2023 Tutor2u Limited. But that is not the case always, there are many instances when autocratic leadership has proved itself a desirable option in the organizational setting. Disadvantages: There is also less feedback from various levels of management which must be processed. Employees, in turn, learn discipline and consistency from their leader. Do you have to be born with the correct qualities or can you be taught to be a good leader? According to goremotley.net, around 83% of employers feel that it is crucial to create leaders at all levels. If you know anything about democratic leadership, you will know that it sounds better than autocracy. Every crisis or decision lies on their shoulders. In this article, we outline some essential, This leadership style enables quick decision-making, which is one of the most significant. That means many leaders practicing this leadership style eventually turn into micromanagers, even if that is not their intent. For that reason, some entities using this structure create an inheritance chain which allows another person to step into the leadership role right away. As such people working under autocratic leaders are supposed to accept the guidance or orders of their leader without any disagreement. - consultative although the manager will have the final say. Most autocratic leaders do not consider the opinions or abilities of their staff members while making decisions. The employees have clear and strict job descriptions and know what to do and what is expected of them. They, therefore, make all the strategic decisions without any or extremely little inputs from the people who work under them. You must have seen people with varied working styles, ways of talking, and traits. Only the leader will weigh the pros and cons of every option instead of the entire C-suite. Some employees dont like the idea of being asked to make an important decision about the future of the company. They may sometimes ask their team members to provide feedback, however, the feedback is highly unlikely to change the decisions. Removes employee stress. Paternalistic managers give more attention to the social needs and views of their workers. There is just one person in charge. Faster decision-making and quick information-sharing can help boost the teams productivity. Because all decisions are made by the leader, a new leader must be brought in, which requires everyone to start from scratch. This is one of the autocratic leader strengths and weaknesses that is highly dependent on the workplace environment. 6. One of the other notable cons of the autocratic leadership style is that there is a poor relationship between the leader and followers. - They are in complete . Key points of Advantages of autocratic leadership Highlights below: It allows for a fast decision to be made. They use their personal experiences to form rules or regulations that translate into step-by-step instructions for workers to follow. This procedure often leads to the consistent delivery of projects and has a significant impact on the employees performance and productivity. Team members have creative freedom 3. What is autocratic leadership and its advantages? The autocratic style provides fast crisis management benefits. On the other hand, employees are responsible for following instructions and meeting deadlines. Moreover, the instructions will go straight to the employees. Leaders do not concern about whether or not subordinates are satisfied with their actions and instructions. In this type of leadership, the rules and procedures that teams use are quite rigid. It leads to quick decision-making, control over the processes and the operations of a company, etc. Every leadership style comes with some benefits and weaknesses. However, this does not mean you should be satisfied with your current self and avoid growth. It is one of the biggest advantages of the autocratic leadership style. Here, in the autocratic organization, there are fewer levels which reduces the challenges of poor communication that might be caused because of too many levels. This leadership style makes it difficult to correct poor results. Autocratic Leadership (Authoritarian): A leadership style in which an individual is in control of all the decisions and tasks and his/her "followers" have little to no say in the final decision. This is yet another of the several, advantages of autocratic leadership style. The style is closely linked with Mayo's Human Relation view of motivation and also the social needs of Maslow. This helps to resolve the emergencies rather effectively when compared to other leadership styles. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Leadership styles There are many ways to lead and every leader has his or her own style. An autocratic workplace environment is typically not friendly to innovation or outside-the-box thinking, and this can leave workers feeling intellectually stifled. Therefore, they may not contribute to the team efforts as they should. There may be dangerous situations or working environments which require complicated tasks to be completed. This style has close links with Herzberg's motivators and Maslow's higher order skills and also applies to McGregor's theory Y view of workers. Team members may have opportunities to provide feedback; however, their feedback is highly unlikely to change the course of action. Some are collaborative and inspiring, while some are authoritative and controlling. These were the autocratic leadership style advantages and disadvantages. The first involves the work that gets done. It can be a joyless experience for team members. Each person involved in autocratic organizations knows their position and role in achieving the desired target. Authoritative leaders are most consistent in their approaches and systems. Over time, this makes employee morale begin to sink. It will also highlight team members that have strong creative skills and those that do not. In fact, some characteristics of autocratic leadership can be considered advantages in some situations and drawbacks in others. That need is generated by an overall lack of trust. This style tends to decrease employee performance when additional duties are imposed on the employees without consultation. Autocratic leadership always encourages one-way communication to eliminate this problem. The leader defines goals and the limitations for action and then leaves the remaining process. It is a leadership style that is based on a lack of trust. Likewise, it is also very useful when organisations face constant change or a crisis. 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. Autocratic leadership style works better in situations where swift decisions are needed. Khan et al. The theory, which is generally linked with autocratic leadership, assumes employees don't like to work and tend to focus on fulfilling self-interests. In many ways, it could be described as, Do it my way or go hit the highway. Workers get the job done, or else they go find a different job. Dependent on the leader: Organizational success is entirely dependent on the leader and their ideas, which can endanger the stability of the organization. Although in authoritarian leadership, there is one-way communication there also exists effective communication. Autocratic leadership is one-directional, top-down leadership. Charismatic leaders are usually adaptable and possess the power to make the followers feel comfortable with . People only thrive here is there is no investment in what they do. 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!).
advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership tutor2u
Posted by