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 . If yes, then the best way to manage such teams is through autocratic leadership. 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. Situations such as dealing with hazardous materials spill and closing or keeping a business open during an accident can be dealt with instantly and effectively with this style of leadership. For example, the team will have a clear vision of expectations and where their project and company is going. Autocratic leadership, characterized by this centralized style of leadership, is an important concept in business, economics and politics. More Cautious Many analysts argue that late Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple Inc.), Elon Musk, and to some extent Bill Gates are autocratic leaders. Your email address will not be published. In some situations, this leadership . In workplaces where the employees are largely young and inexperienced, autocratic leadership can be the most effective approach. In this type of leadership, the rules and procedures that teams use are quite rigid. 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 In a system of dependence, an autocratic leadership style creates a lack of trust between you and your workers. Charismatic leaders are usually adaptable and possess the power to make the followers feel comfortable with . Professionals operating under this leadership can have lower confidence and slower decision-making skills. All the standard operating procedures are also followed. Over time, this makes employee morale begin to sink. Autocratic leaders are able to handle a crisis situation easily because they are the ones who are in charge. Inexperienced employees generally need a lot of hands-on guidance from their supervisors to learn their roles, learn how to perform their job duties effectively and learn how to work well within the organization. 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. This approach has limitations (as highlighted by other motivational theorists such as Mayo and Herzberg) but it can be effective in certain situations. The idea here is that with a centralised control, giving guidance and direction to employees is relatively easy. If you liked any of these articles, please feel free to share with others by clicking on the social sharing icons. Strict compliance becomes necessary. can swiftly take the team out of trouble. This requires good two-way communication and often involves democratic discussion groups, which can offer useful suggestions and ideas. What leads to a successful working relationship is an ability of workers to have trust in their leaders, and vice-versa. Employees feel motivated and devote their maximum effort when they feel valued for their presence and contribution. It increases the work burden for the leader. It improves overall communication. They consult employees over issues and listen to their feedback or opinions. For example: When quick decisions are needed in a company (e.g. Every leadership style comes with some benefits and weaknesses. They can replicate results because they are given specific instructions to follow. So, what are the autocratic leadership advantages and disadvantages? 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. 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. We hope the article Advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership style has been helpful. The second involves a leader refusing to take responsibility for work they personally instructed a worker to complete. Every crisis or decision lies on their shoulders. Lets take a glimpse at who autocratic leaders are and what they do. 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. Do you have a team of inexperienced employees? It creates moments of insecurity within the leadership. Autocratic leadership eliminates this issue because the command goes straight to the workers involved. Autocratic leadership is very similar to the authoritarian leadership style. Some are collaborative and inspiring, while some are authoritative and controlling. Paternalistic managers give more attention to the social needs and views of their workers. Whether this style makes a good leader has been a longstanding debate. Autocratic Leadership. 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? Inexperienced employees need a detailed layout and instructions to complete taskstraits an autocratic leader is known for. The lack of flexibility in environments headed by autocratic leaders can drive creative and motivated employees away. This person: Assigns tasks Keeps everyone on deadline Focuses on the big picture Makes sure everyone contributes equally Attner, R. and Plunkett, W. (1994) Introduction to management, 5th edition, California: Wadsworth, Inc. Murphy, M. (2019) Does anyone actually like autocratic leaders? Downsides of Autocratic Leadership While autocratic leadership can be beneficial at times, there are also many instances where this leadership style can be problematic. Autocratic leadership style is commonly associated with excessive employee turnover (employees leaving an organisation). Managers do not trust workers and simply give orders (one-way communication) that they expect to be obeyed. St. Thomas University: What is Democratic/Participative Leadership? How was that going for you? To be a great authentic leader, you should accept yourself for who you truly are. The ultimate democratic system occurs when decisions are made based on the majority view of all workers. Most autocratic leaders do not consider the opinions or abilities of their staff members while making decisions. 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. Autocratic leaders are often charged with information movement. Bad leaders can put a company out of business. Autocratic leadership can be defined as a leadership style where an individual leader holds the decision-making power over all organizational members and all activities. Their expertise and experience can solve short-term issues. Do you have to be born with the correct qualities or can you be taught to be a good leader? Study notes, videos, interactive activities and more! All operations, methods, processes and delegations are decided by the autocratic leader and only by him. 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). Each level of management can inadvertently (or purposely) put their own spin on the communication come from the leadership. Autocratic leadership is a type of leadership that is individual-centric. 1. Understanding autocratic leadership strengths and weaknesses can be easier when one understands exactly which kinds of behaviors constitute autocratic leadership. Definition and Pros/Cons, Demings 14 Points For Quality Management [Explained], What is Deming Management? democratic leadership. While employees who need clear directive and feedback from their leader tend to do best under an autocrat, more experienced employees often do well in a more autonomous environment. They know themselves very well and try to bring people together to achieve the organisational goals. It creates a lack of feedback. 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. - There is a clear division between the followers and the leaders. They, therefore, make all the strategic decisions without any or extremely little inputs from the people who work under them. But, this lacks in autocratic organizations. Other relevant articles for you are: Advantages and disadvantages of digital marketing, Advantages and disadvantages of franchising. Autocratic leadership is one-directional, top-down leadership. That means a decision is made on the timetable of the leader and no one else. Because of one-way communication and lack of recognition employees do not get the answers to the questions they deserve. In this article, we outline some essential autocratic leadership pros and cons. When a leader is asked to operate in an authoritarian manner, it is difficult to turn that role on and off on-demand. 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. After all, this is what good leadership is all about. For employees, an environment where decision-making is solely the managers job can mean a relatively low stress environment. You can be an authentic leader; you constantly grow and betters yourself. 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. Likewise, Leona Helmsley of the Helmsley hotel chain andMartha Stewart of MSLO are also considered to have exercised this type of leadership style. Autocratic leaders ignore the skills of competent workers. 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. Check out Harappas Inspiring Faculty Program and experience growth in your leadership now. As in an autocratic organization, a single leader is involved in decision-making, he makes decisions based on his own logic and judgment. 1. Since autocratic leadership ensures clearly defined structures, it clearly states what to do and how to do it. advantages of the autocratic leadership style, autocratic leadership style advantages and disadvantages. Advantages of Autocratic Leadership Quick Decision-Making Clearly Defined Structure Timely Work Completion Effective Communication Easy Acceptance Right for Inexperienced Employees Increased Efficiency and Productivity Suitable for Small Organizations Disadvantages of Autocratic Leadership Less Morale and Motivation High Turnover Low Satisfaction The quality of a team, structure, or organization practicing autocratic leadership is dependent upon the ethics of the leader in charge. - the leader respects other peoples opinions and feedback. And, you know discipline is the key to achieving something. Because of the vertical or one-way communication channel subordinates do not get the opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts. 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. They even need guidance and instruction on how to, to do the given jobs. If the results an autocratic leader achieves do not meet corporate expectations, then it can be difficult to correct the issue. 8. If there is a short-term problem, the expertise of the leader can be used to create a solution. Increased autonomy 2. 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. Faster decision-making is the key to attaining organizational goals. But, in an autocratic environment, there is no employee participation and their concerns are ignored. Disadvantages. 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. Nevertheless, autocratic leadership is one of the least popular management styles and certainly not suitable for each organisation. Workers are less likely to stop their projects or ask for later deadlines because they receive timely decisions and communication from their leadership. The advantages of Autocratic Leadership are: 1. Boston Spa, They get to take all the credit for the work that gets done. 4. 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. Autocratic leadership is . According to St Thomas University (2018) the autocratic leadership process generally entails one person making all the strategic decisions for their subordinates. 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. One of the primary characteristics of autocratic leadership is a clearly defined chain of command. Instead of there being a democratic process for teams, there are no group positions of leadership with the autocratic style. 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. Therefore, they may not contribute to the team efforts as they should. - reduces staff turnover. Advantages of Autocratic Leadership Quick Decision Making. This approach derives from the views of Taylor as to how to motivate workers and relates to McGregor's theory X view of workers. Only the leader will weigh the pros and cons of every option instead of the entire C-suite. A clear chain of command is important in certain environments, like the military. Humans are by nature different from each other; still, experts try to categorize them into various segments. Faster decision-making is the key to attaining organizational goals. Autocratic (or authoritarian) managers like to make all the important decisions and closely supervise and control workers. 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. Such times require a leader with ability to give instructions or guide and direct to those under his or her authority. 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. Leaders do not concern about whether or not subordinates are satisfied with their actions and instructions. That is because there is one person and they are in charge of all arrangements. A work environment where autocratic leadership style is exercised is usually not friendly to innovation or creative thinking. advantages of democratic leadership. These. Cons of autocratic leadership. But that is not the case always, there are many instances when autocratic leadership has proved itself a desirable option in the organizational setting. That means all creative decisions originate from the leader. * Very limited or no input at all from the subordinates. 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. Often, autocratic leaders are referred to as micromanagers. The leader shares defined roles and patterns of work with the employees. You may also like reading Advantages and disadvantages of private limited company. 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. Although their primary aim should be to achieve business goals, as leaders, it is also their responsibility to add value to employees. Workers become dependent on someone else to make decisions. 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. A review of the teams work falls on their shoulders. That means the personal morality of the leader becomes the corporate reality of the business. Autocratic leaders have the opportunity to take full control, responsibility and stress and build and maintain a productive operation. These types of interactions do not create a sustainable working relationship, which ultimately creates productivity problems as workers experience lower morale levels. By providing clear instructions, oversight, and guidance, autocrats can speed up turnaround times and improve quality standards. List of the Disadvantages of a Democratic Leadership Style. 214 High Street, That need is generated by an overall lack of trust. So, there are advantages of the autocratic leadership style for the employees, too. Autocratic leaders generally could use organizational . To be effective, people need to work in an environment where there is a trusting partnership. Safety is a top priority within the autocratic leadership style. These were the autocratic leadership style advantages and disadvantages. Many analysists also argue that this style usually leads to an absence of creative solutions to problems, which may ultimately hurt the group efforts. Disadvantages of autocratic leadership style. Both issues decrease worker morale and put blame on someone, even though the issue may not be their fault. Low satisfaction also results in below performance than expectations. Autocratic leadership style works better in situations where swift decisions are needed. Decentralisation and Leadership Styles (AQA Paper 1 2019, Q20) Exam Support What is leadership? Because of the too much rigidity in the structure, and low growth opportunities, most of the experienced employees tend to leave the autocratic organizations. Control in the group is minimal; authority is shared among members. This can be achieved by reviewing autocratic leadership examples. An autocratic. If the leader offers questionable ethics, however, and refuses to create fairness, then there is no one who can really hold that person accountable. The Disadvantages of Laissez-Faire Leadership. 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 benefits of autocratic leadership is that it can help an inexperienced team achieve goals that they wouldn't be able to do alone. Over time, however, this leadership style creates mistrust within the workplace. 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 . Moreover, they also like to enjoy the credit for the projects success, leaving the employees disheartened. Everything rests with the leader. There may be situations when leaders are less qualified than their subordinates. And they are accountable for the outcomes. Your email address will not be published. When there is an autocratic leadership established within an organization, there are fewer levels of administration that must be kept informed of each decision. That means the partnerships formed by the workers are with the rules, not with people, and that helps to drive down morale over time. Managers are interested in how happy workers feel and in many ways they act as a father figure (pater means father in Latin). Autocratic leaders have imperious or commanding personalities. Although they set their rules and regulations to control the team, they also play a significant role in eradicating employee stress. 4. It is a leadership style that is based on a lack of trust. Most autocratic leaders will not take the opinions, experiences, or knowledge of their team members into account when making decisions. If you know anything about democratic leadership, you will know that it sounds better than autocracy. Its advantages are as follows: 1) An autocratic leader is in close control of the organization. Did you know that autocratic leadership is great when it comes to handling crises? Employee morale can also be negatively affected when autocratic leadership is employed. Did you ever tell him about your awesome weekend? That consistency leads toward corporate success. Disadvantages: Although some managers adopt democratic leadership, it is just to please their subordinates but they do not follow the technique fully. And what are autocratic leadership pros and cons? The Disadvantages of Impulsive Management, Management Styles That Elevate vs. Devalue Employees. for the employees, too. 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. Let's explore whether an autocratic leadership style is the right one for you: Benefits of Autocratic Leadership Style. Even if the leader is not knowledgeable in the area, they are forced into a position where they must decide. This ensures that employees are exercising best of their abilities to get the job done, and time and other resources are not wasted. According to Startingbusiness.com, a significant drawback to working with an autocratic leader is the lack of flexibility in the workplace. In addition, in this style of leadership, managers don't take care of the opinions of their staff and ore not open to changes. Autocratic leadership A leadership style in which leaders dictate without consultation of subordinates. The three commonly observed leadership . 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. 3. Workers can benefit from the competencies offered by their leader, replicating productivity by using the leaders knowledge and experience as a workplace asset. Starting Business: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Autocratic Leadership, IPL.org: The Challenges of Autocratic Leadership Styles in Organizations and Individuals, Risk Vs. Subordinates are expected to comply with orders from their supervisors, who in turn are expected to comply with orders from their superiors. Inexperienced teams can still produce experienced results. They can easily manage these issues because theyre the only ones who get to call the shots. Effective communication is when the receiver gets the exact message the sender wants to convey. One of the other notable cons of the autocratic leadership style is that there is a poor relationship between the leader and followers. 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. There is no gray area for employee performance in this type of environment, which can be comforting for employees. Resulting in taking ideas and not implementing them. 1. 7. Autocratic leaders are like the captain of the ship. Autocratic style leads to frustration, low morale and conflict among subordinates. They are the managerial equivalent of an emergency room surgeon who is forced to do whatever necessary to save a patients life. Although in authoritarian leadership, there is one-way communication there also exists effective communication. Managers must be willing to encourage leadership skills in subordinates. It reduces the amount of group input received. They are bound to follow whatever the leaders ask them. However, excess control can also result in low employee morale and employee engagement. However, according to Schaeffer (2002) autocratic leaders are not those who bully people needlessly. Here are the pros and cons of autocracy: Pros of autocracy There are many benefits of autocracy, including: Increasing productivity: Autocracy can increase productivity, especially when subordinates don't have advanced skills or training yet. This can lead to burnout. Autocratic leadership refers to a form of leadership in which a leader takes choices without consulting others. Study Notes Management Styles in a Business (GCSE) Study Notes Leadership Topic Videos Leadership Styles: Blake Mouton Managerial Grid Topic Videos Most of the time Mr. Worth was absent from the rest of the employees, he communicated through his assistant. Autocratic leaders rely on specific rules, policies, and procedures to govern all processes within the workplace. It also includes less feedback from the management levels. Employees who prefer some authority and decision-making powers in the team might not appreciate autocratic leadership. 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.
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