For example: When quick decisions are needed in a company (e.g. In workplaces where the employees are largely young and inexperienced, autocratic leadership can be the most effective approach. Autocratic leadership Advantages And Disadvantages. An autocratic leader focuses less on collecting input from team members and tends to make executive decisions that others are expected to follow. Did you ever invite him for a drink? She's no stranger to the wild ride that running a business can be, but that doesn't mean she's done learningevery day, it's something different when you're in the driver's seat. Autocratic Leadership - Study.com Disadvantages. Starting Business: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Autocratic Leadership, IPL.org: The Challenges of Autocratic Leadership Styles in Organizations and Individuals, Risk Vs. Likewise, Leona Helmsley of the Helmsley hotel chain andMartha Stewart of MSLO are also considered to have exercised this type of leadership style. Study notes, videos, interactive activities and more! 1. Full potential of subordinates and their creative ideas are not utilized. When a team leaders style can be summarized with my way or the highway, that leader can accurately be called an autocrat. Autocratic Leadership. When the leader is the only person in the organization who makes decisions and determines the companys strategy, they can easily feel overwhelmed. This can be beneficial for organizations that need to maintain a strong sense of control and predictability. When a leader is asked to operate in an authoritarian manner, it is difficult to turn that role on and off on-demand. What Is Autocratic Leadership? Definition, Pros and Cons Advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership style. Autocratic leaders are like the captain of the ship. Employees, in turn, learn discipline and consistency from their leader. Moreover, the instructions will go straight to the employees. and lack of staff initiative (2015). According to St. Thomas University, democratic leadership is defined by mutual respect between the manager and their team members. 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. When there is an autocratic leadership established within an organization, there are fewer levels of administration that must be kept informed of each decision. Moreover, they also like to enjoy the credit for the projects success, leaving the employees disheartened. Faster decision-making is the key to attaining organizational goals. This lack of adaptability within your workforce can . There is no doubting where fault lies of poor decisions. Many analysts argue that late Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple Inc.), Elon Musk, and to some extent Bill Gates are autocratic leaders. Autocratic leaders generally could use organizational . 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. Though autocratic leadership style is often criticised, it is true that many historic autocratic leaders have been innovators who unleashed revolutions in different fields. The following are the notable advantages and disadvantages of the autocratic leadership style in the workplace. What is autocratic leadership and its advantages? 19 Autocratic Leadership Style Advantages and Disadvantages They may sometimes ask their team members to provide feedback, however, the feedback is highly unlikely to change the decisions. At times, the original instruction may get lost within complex and multiple channels of communication. The leader does not have to deal with internal politics or disputes at the decision-making stage. 9. 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. Although creativity, independent thinking, and new processes are included as part of the overall leadership style, their implementation is not a top priority. And when it comes to long-term issues, autocratic leaders know how to direct traffic through the hierarchies. If yes, then the best way to manage such teams is through autocratic leadership. The free reign approach can prove an effective type of leadership when the team has achieved identity and cohesion, resulting in motivated and resourceful team members. Autocratic leadership A leadership style in which leaders dictate without consultation of subordinates. As autocratic leaders usually make decisions without consulting their team members, it may cause team members dislike towards the leadership. Over time, however, this leadership style creates mistrust within the workplace. They get to take all the credit for the work that gets done. Definitions of autocratic leadership style. in a time of crises). ", 100 Best Side Hustles for Teens to Make Money, 10 Proven Psychological Pricing Strategies with Examples, 100 Office Etiquette Rules You Need to Know, 50 Best Business Letter Closings of All-Time. List of the Advantages of Autocratic Leadership 1. Did you know that autocratic leadership is great when it comes to handling crises? 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. But that is not the case always, there are many instances when autocratic leadership has proved itself a desirable option in the organizational setting. As such, in autocratic leadership, faster decisions can be made. Explore Harappa Diaries to learn more about topics such as Advantages Of Autocratic Leadership, Difference Between Leaders And Dictators, Contingency Theory Of Leadership and Develop Good Leadership Qualities to advance in your career. Additionally, a leader like this improves workplace efficiency by instructing staff members on what to do and how to meet deadlines. Autocratic leadership has a clearly defined chain of command. However, according to Schaeffer (2002) autocratic leaders are not those who bully people needlessly. The leader is the only person to take the decision solely as they are in charge . In autocratic organizations, there are clearly defined tasks, roles, rules, and deadlines to follow. For example, the team will have a clear vision of expectations and where their project and company is going. Workers can benefit from the competencies offered by their leader, replicating productivity by using the leaders knowledge and experience as a workplace asset. . Home Pros and Cons 11 Autocratic Leadership Advantages and Disadvantages. In fact, some characteristics of autocratic leadership can be considered advantages in some situations and drawbacks in others. 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. support and direction. 19 Advantages and Disadvantages of Democratic Leadership Style The first involves the work that gets done. Employees, in turn, learn discipline and consistency from their leader. Inexperienced employees lack the ability to understand the outlined rules and regulations of the organization. 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. Pros of autocratic leadership The benefits and disadvantages of benevolent leadership As such, it becomes the right choice for employees who thrive when they are told what to do. Copyright 2017 2025. Advantages of Autocratic Leadership Quick Decision Making. . Good leaders can produce great results. Because all decisions are made by the leader, a new leader must be brought in, which requires everyone to start from scratch. Workers become dependent on someone else to make decisions. Many analysists also argue that this style usually leads to an absence of creative solutions to problems, which may ultimately hurt the group efforts. That reduces the productivity available, and eventually leads to declining morale. According to IPL.org, autocratic leadership is an extreme form of another kind of workplace leadership known as transactional leadership. But, this lacks in autocratic organizations. 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. An autocratic leadership style is similar to an authoritarian leadership style. * Very limited or no input at all from the subordinates. 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. 1. 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. Some employees dont like the idea of being asked to make an important decision about the future of the company. Its main weakness is that it hinges heavily on the abilities and temperament of your employees. And they are accountable for the outcomes. Autocratic leaders have the opportunity to take full control, responsibility and stress and build and maintain a productive operation. But this might not be possible with an autocratic leadership style. Autocratic leadership eradicates this confusion as the command goes straight to the people involved. Removes employee stress. 3. An autocratic. 2. The advantages of Autocratic Leadership are: 1. Your email address will not be published. It gets even worse if workers can voice an opinion that is never utilized. 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. Do you have a team of inexperienced employees? As such, here, every employee is abiding by strict discipline. The leader shares defined roles and patterns of work with the employees. What is the disadvantages of autocratic? - Heimduo Autocratic leadership is . Autocratic leaders generally believe that they are the smartest people around and know more than their subordinates. 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. The competencies of the leader practicing autocratic leadership become the foundation for future success. 1. Subordinates tend to shirk responsibility and initiative. They use their personal experiences to form rules or regulations that translate into step-by-step instructions for workers to follow. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of each leadership style Did you know that autocratic leadership is great when it comes to handling crises? 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. Some of the more common styles include autocratic, bureaucratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. 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. PDF Advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership pdf