Control in the group is minimal; authority is shared among members. 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!). In this type of leadership, the rules and procedures that teams use are quite rigid. 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. Autocratic leadership is an exchange process, so it is a matter of contingent reinforcement of staff based on performances. It motivates staff by appealing to their personal desires and on instrumental economic transactions. There are many qualities that are needed to be a good leader or manager. Each level of management can inadvertently (or purposely) put their own spin on the communication come from the leadership. Subordinates tend to shirk responsibility and initiative. This can be beneficial for organizations that need to maintain a strong sense of control and predictability. It is a negative cycle which only increases when the leader makes a poor decision that could have been avoided if a team consultation occurred. advantages of democratic leadership. 6. They can easily manage these issues because theyre the only ones who get to call the shots. You may also like reading Advantages and disadvantages of private limited company. Due to this behaviour, the leader should yield the ultimate power and provide the employees with the motivation to work, i.e. So, there are advantages of the autocratic leadership style for the employees, too. However, this does not mean you should be satisfied with your current self and avoid growth. for the employees, too. * Very limited or no input at all from the subordinates. The biggest problem is, no one talks about innovation and out-of-the-box ideas in this leadership style. These benefits of autocratic leadership can swiftly take the team out of trouble. Over time, however, this leadership style creates mistrust within the workplace. Their expertise and experience can solve short-term issues. - There is a clear division between the followers and the leaders. This can mean the only employees who remain working with the company are unmotivated and even lazy individuals. They may sometimes ask their team members to provide feedback, however, the feedback is highly unlikely to change the decisions. Autocratic leaders ignore the skills of competent workers. If there is a short-term problem, the expertise of the leader can be used to create a solution. So, there are. The idea here is that with a centralised control, giving guidance and direction to employees is relatively easy. Both leadership styles are very well known and are often used due to . More Cautious 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. 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. There are a number of vital benefits to autocratic leadership, according to the Houston Chronicle. Disadvantages. Home Pros and Cons 11 Autocratic Leadership Advantages and Disadvantages. 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. 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. Because all decisions are made by the leader, a new leader must be brought in, which requires everyone to start from scratch. Tel: +44 0844 800 0085. Productivity levels can see increases with this leadership style. They just want to come to work, do what theyre told, then go home at the end of the day with a paycheck. 9. The three commonly observed leadership . 1. It is an easy way to cut through administrative red tape to ensure better communication to all workers. Because autocratic leaders are able to move information throughout an organization quickly, there are fewer delays in productivity. It is therefore easy for the autocratic leaders to make the organisational goals clear to the subordinates resulting in better and higher commitment to the accomplishment of the goals. 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. If yes, then the best way to manage such teams is through autocratic leadership. They even need guidance and instruction on how to, to do the given jobs. But, what is autocratic leadership? One of the primary characteristics of autocratic leadership is a clearly defined chain of command. They arent required to wait for the feedback from senior managers or consult with a leadership team. As such people working under autocratic leaders are supposed to accept the guidance or orders of their leader without any disagreement. When a team leaders style can be summarized with my way or the highway, that leader can accurately be called an autocrat. That need is generated by an overall lack of trust. Humans are by nature different from each other; still, experts try to categorize them into various segments. They may also feel that the leadership does not care about their needs and desires which is unproductive for organisations. This person: Assigns tasks Keeps everyone on deadline Focuses on the big picture Makes sure everyone contributes equally For many it is someone who can inspire and get the most from their staff. As such, here, every employee is abiding by strict discipline. Instead of there being a democratic process for teams, there are no group positions of leadership with the autocratic style. There are some work environments which require a high level of control. Even if the leader is not knowledgeable in the area, they are forced into a position where they must decide. The autocratic leadership style means that the person in charge has the entire control upon all decision making. Copyright 2017 2025. Decentralisation and Leadership Styles (AQA Paper 1 2019, Q20) Exam Support What is leadership? Let's explore whether an autocratic leadership style is the right one for you: Benefits of Autocratic Leadership Style. Therefore, they may not contribute to the team efforts as they should. Inexperienced employees lack the ability to understand the outlined rules and regulations of the organization. That means all creative decisions originate from the leader. Many analysts argue that late Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple Inc.), Elon Musk, and to some extent Bill Gates are autocratic leaders. Faster decision-making and quick information-sharing can help boost the teams productivity. Some people dont like the idea of coming up with new ideas. But, this lacks in autocratic organizations. They make the decision first and then announces it. Some are encouraging and collaborative, while others are commanding and dominating. A clear chain of command is important in certain environments, like the military. They get to take all the credit for the work that gets done. 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. Required fields are marked *. This is yet another of the several advantages of autocratic leadership style. Some of the more common styles include autocratic, bureaucratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. One of the greatest advantages to working with an autocratic leader is that the employee always knows whats expected and what will happen if they fail to perform as expected. Authoritative leaders are most consistent in their approaches and systems. Contrary to popular opinions, many organisations are well suited to the autocratic leadership type at some degree. 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. 1. But this might not be possible with an autocratic leadership style. That reduces the productivity available, and eventually leads to declining morale. According to Startingbusiness.com, a significant drawback to working with an autocratic leader is the lack of flexibility in the workplace. They can easily manage these issues because they're the only ones who get to call the shots. employees also do not show their commitment to the organizational purpose. For leaders who don't care much about power and prefer to be appreciated by being of service to others, this is the main advantage. One of the other notable cons of the autocratic leadership style is that there is a poor relationship between the leader and followers. If yes, then the best way to manage such teams is through autocratic leadership. Paternalistic managers give more attention to the social needs and views of their workers. Autocratic style leads to frustration, low morale and conflict among subordinates. The productivity levels may be higher, but with no say in the process, resentment will quickly build. 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. What is autocratic leadership and its advantages? Autocratic leadership, characterized by this centralized style of leadership, is an important concept in business, economics and politics. He is a lecturer in Management and Marketing. List of the Disadvantages of a Democratic Leadership Style. In addition, the leaders directly communicate to their followers where the work is to be done. Autocratic leadership involves absolute, authoritarian control over a group of people. One of the primary reasons why the autocratic leadership style tends to fail is because it is fully dependent upon the skills and knowledge of the leader. 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. Analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the autocratic leadership style by examining examples of leaders and companies. * The leaders set rules, and systems for their team members. 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 . 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. There may be situations when leaders are less qualified than their subordinates. 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 Communication is the systematic process of passing information from one person to another. 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. The Advantages of the Laissez-Faire Leadership Style Here is a list of the pros of the Laissez-Faire Leadership style: 1. 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. There are three main categories of leadership styles: autocratic, paternalistic and democratic. In the permissive version, the autocratic leader still makes the final decision, but extends some flexibility to their direct reports in how tasks are completed. The democratic leadership style does solicit for opinions, perspectives, and experiences. It encourages a higher churn rate. 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. 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. Although their primary aim should be to achieve business goals, as leaders, it is also their responsibility to add value to employees. There can be a lack of accountability within its structures. - increases employee satisfaction and motivation. Although in authoritarian leadership, there is one-way communication there also exists effective communication. This detailed article sheds light on some of the advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership style. However, excess control can also result in low employee morale and employee engagement. As autocratic leaders usually make decisions without consulting their team members, it may cause team members dislike towards the leadership. People who step out of this line are quickly identified and brought back into the fold. When this happens, productivity levels tend to decrease over time instead of increase. In a system of dependence, an autocratic leadership style creates a lack of trust between you and your workers. This leaves little room for miscommunication and messages getting lost in transit. Since autocratic leadership ensures clearly defined structures, it clearly states what to do and how to do it. 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. Leadership styles There are many ways to lead and every leader has his or her own style. It is a leadership style that is very easy to learn. 4. The communication in the autocratic leadership can be considered as "one-way" ( the manager say . High clarity on structure and roles Organizations with autocratic leaders usually have very clear lines and borders in between different areas. The theory, which is generally linked with autocratic leadership, assumes employees don't like to work and tend to focus on fulfilling self-interests. Workers become dependent on someone else to make decisions. 8. Each person benefits from the regulated competencies that are offered by the leader. When the leaders are taking ownership for the quality of the completed work, there is no opportunity for team members to do so. There is also less feedback from various levels of management which must be processed. Every crisis or decision lies on their shoulders. How Procedures Can Improve Efficiency, available at: https://online.stu.edu/articles/education/autocratic-leadership.aspx (accessed 06 April 2021). Although the autocratic leadership style is often viewed as being a directive relationship between the leader and the team member, there are two other varieties found with this style. Autocratic leaders are in charge and they make this fact known. This helps to resolve the emergencies rather effectively when compared to other leadership styles. Many analysists also argue that this style usually leads to an absence of creative solutions to problems, which may ultimately hurt the group efforts. But that is not the case always, there are many instances when autocratic leadership has proved itself a desirable option in the organizational setting. And what are autocratic leadership pros and cons? In autocratic organizations, there are clearly defined tasks, roles, rules, and deadlines to follow. Boston House, Unfortunately, they might not appreciate the advice of their team members. Such times require a leader with the ability to give instructions or guide and direct to those under his or her authority. The leader shares defined roles and patterns of work with the employees. These. LS23 6AD Did you know that autocratic leadership is great when it comes to handling crises? In most autocratic leadership structures, the leader is responsible for every action of the team. Because of one-way communication and lack of recognition employees do not get the answers to the questions they deserve. Along with many advantages, the autocratic leadership style also has various disadvantages. 4. The competencies of the leader practicing autocratic leadership become the foundation for future success. But rarely do employees know that there are several. Moreover, they also like to enjoy the credit for the projects success, leaving the employees disheartened. Workers are forced to rely on the autocratic leader for all their feedback, instructions, and work duties.
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Minimum Hallway Width California, Articles A