advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership tutor2u

This form serves well when the . Their expertise and experience can solve short-term issues. So, there are advantages of the autocratic leadership style for the employees, too. These were the autocratic leadership style advantages and disadvantages. As such, in autocratic leadership, faster decisions can be made. 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. 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. Lets take a glimpse at who autocratic leaders are and what they do. The leader will need to create the system, with all the rules and procedures, in which the team uses to operate and reach goals. Autocratic leadership has a clearly defined chain of command. The correct leadership approach used at the right time will foster a long-term employeeleader relationship. This system leaves the employees stress-free. Now that weve discussed several advantages of the autocratic leadership style, here come some disadvantages: One of the biggest disadvantages of exercising autocratic leadership is that it can result in low employee morale. 3. What makes a good leader or manager? 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. can swiftly take the team out of trouble. 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. Copyright 2017 2025. That consistency leads toward corporate success. Strict compliance becomes necessary. Therefore, leaders who exercise autocratic leadership should follow a balanced process to attain organizational objectives. St. Thomas University: What is Autocratic Leadership? Autocratic leaders have imperious or commanding personalities. Even if the leader is not knowledgeable in the area, they are forced into a position where they must decide. When the leaders are taking ownership for the quality of the completed work, there is no opportunity for team members to do so. 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. The autocratic leadership style means that the person in charge has the entire control upon all decision making. The autocratic leadership style is highly dependent upon the leader. To be a great authentic leader, you should accept yourself for who you truly are. Study Notes Management Styles in a Business (GCSE) Study Notes Leadership Topic Videos Leadership Styles: Blake Mouton Managerial Grid Topic Videos Essentially, no one will be confused about the direction of a company or even the specific assignment they are working on. By the time the information reaches the front-line employees doing most of the work, the entire original message could be lost. 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. Along with many advantages, the autocratic leadership style also has various disadvantages. If yes, then the best way to manage such teams is through autocratic leadership. Degrades trust and morale: Autocratic leadership discourages input, which can make teams feel like their ideas are ignored and they're unable to contribute. The idea here is that with a centralised control, giving guidance and direction to employees is relatively easy. This system leaves the employees stress-free. Full potential of subordinates and their creative ideas are not utilized. To be effective, the leader must be able to have proven competencies in their field, as they are responsible for making most of the decisions in the workplace. Autocratic (or authoritarian) managers like to make all the important decisions and closely supervise and control workers. The decision can be made faster with this leadership style. The laissez-faire or free reign leader scarcely provides direction to his team members. This creates more speed, better productivity, and enhanced efficiencies within the workplace. There is no gray area for employee performance in this type of environment, which can be comforting for employees. Although creativity, independent thinking, and new processes are included as part of the overall leadership style, their implementation is not a top priority. - good style for meetings. People who rely on this leadership style are often viewed as dictators or bossy. Definitions of autocratic leadership style. The autocratic style provides fast crisis management benefits. - consultative although the manager will have the final say. Disadvantages: Although some managers adopt democratic leadership, it is just to please their subordinates but they do not follow the technique fully. Such strict discipline ensures timely work completion of the organization. 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 is an easy way to cut through administrative red tape to ensure better communication to all workers. Faster decision-making and quick information-sharing can help boost the teams productivity. There may be dangerous situations or working environments which require complicated tasks to be completed. We all had, in one job or another, a boss who was feared by everyone. A work environment where autocratic leadership style is exercised is usually not friendly to innovation or creative thinking. Increased Work Burden To be effective, people need to work in an environment where there is a trusting partnership. So, what are the autocratic leadership advantages and disadvantages? Workers become dependent on someone else to make decisions. Over time, however, this leadership style creates mistrust within the workplace. Effective communication is when the receiver gets the exact message the sender wants to convey. What is Laissez-Faire Leadership? That means all creative decisions originate from the leader. Most autocratic leaders do not consider the opinions or abilities of their staff members while making decisions. This can be achieved by reviewing autocratic leadership examples. 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 . 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. Authoritative leaders are most consistent in their approaches and systems. 3. The first involves the work that gets done. - encourages independence and creativity. Leaders are of different types. All operations, methods, processes and delegations are decided by the autocratic leader and only by him. List of the Disadvantages of Authoritarian Leadership It may cause some employees to rebel. Autocratic leadership eliminates this issue because the command goes straight to the workers involved. Hence, he ensures that the products manufactured and services rendered meet the desired quality benchmarks. Inexperienced teams can still produce experienced results. It means employees who are extremely skilled or motivated may begin to lose their incentives to stay active under the current leadership creating conflict in the organisations. In workplaces where the employees are largely young and inexperienced, autocratic leadership can be the most effective approach. Autocratic leadership is a type of leadership that is individual-centric. Managers with this type of leadership style, keep a close eye on what is happening in their organisations. One of the other notable cons of the autocratic leadership style is that there is a poor relationship between the leader and followers. Most of the time Mr. Worth was absent from the rest of the employees, he communicated through his assistant. It leads to quick decision-making, control over the processes and the operations of a company, etc. Many analysists also argue that this style usually leads to an absence of creative solutions to problems, which may ultimately hurt the group efforts. What is autocratic leadership and its advantages? Increased autonomy 2. Autocratic leaders are often charged with information movement. The following are some of the pros of the autocratic leadership style: The autocratic leadership style facilitates quick decision-making in the workplace. Only the leader will weigh the pros and cons of every option instead of the entire C-suite. Likewise, it is also very useful when organisations face constant change or a crisis. 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. 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. This leadership style can produce authoritative short-term results. But, what is autocratic leadership? 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 leaders are typically trusted with decisions or important tasks. That means there is a priority on consistency, with each team member performing their job functions in a similar way. 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. Autocratic - quick decision making is guaranteed; Autocratic - good for inexperienced workers; . The Advantages of the Laissez-Faire Leadership Style Here is a list of the pros of the Laissez-Faire Leadership style: 1. 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. Safeguarding Mental Health in the Gig Economy Strengths of Laissez-Faire Leaders 1. Autocratic leadership is one-directional, top-down leadership. Because of the vertical or one-way communication channel subordinates do not get the opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts. Autocracy in the workplace also results in high employee turnover. This process may create a powerful and positive impact on their performance. There are many qualities that are needed to be a good leader or manager. Autocratic leaders dont deal with the hassle of multiple leadership levels. This approach has limitations (as highlighted by other motivational theorists such as Mayo and Herzberg) but it can be effective in certain situations. He holds an MSc in Tourism & Hospitality from the University of Sunderland. The following are some of the instances because of which autocratic leadership is not suitable. There are some work environments which require a high level of control. 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. Autocratic leaders take the pressure off of their teams because they are fully responsible for the decisions that are made. Laissez-Faire. The advantages and disadvantages below refer to autocracy in general, including the two types of autocracy as discussed above. Rules are placed for employees to follow in an autocratic leadership style because there is a need to create consistency. 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. Faster Decision-making Proponents of this government form claim that having one ruler or person to decide on matters concerning a nation and without distractions and influences of others make it easier for the leader to make sound decisions he or she thinks works for the interest of the country. Quick decision: Quick decision making is guaranteed because a single person decides for the whole group. It improves overall communication. They can replicate results because they are given specific instructions to follow. Let's explore whether an autocratic leadership style is the right one for you: Benefits of Autocratic Leadership Style. 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. Because of the too much rigidity in the structure, and low growth opportunities, most of the experienced employees tend to leave the autocratic organizations. Advantages And Disadvantages Of Autocracy: Leadership is a crucial talent that can be applied to any profession or career as the case may be, and there are several leadership styles to choose from. Both leadership styles are very well known and are often used due to . But, this lacks in autocratic organizations. Such times require a leader with the ability to give instructions or guide and direct to those under his or her authority. It creates a lack of feedback. Autocratic leaders do not take input from other members of a team in their decisions. Whether this style makes a good leader has been a longstanding debate. Find out more. There Is No Room for Flexibility. 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. Bad leaders can put a company out of business. They know themselves very well and try to bring people together to achieve the organisational goals. That need is generated by an overall lack of trust. According to IPL.org, autocratic leadership is an extreme form of another kind of workplace leadership known as transactional leadership. They arent required to wait for the feedback from senior managers or consult with a leadership team. Such a group process usually, takes a longer time to come to decision. The leader is the only person to take the decision solely as they are in charge . This approach derives from the views of Taylor as to how to motivate workers and relates to McGregor's theory X view of workers. As such people working under autocratic leaders are supposed to accept the guidance or orders of their leader without any disagreement. 1. 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. List of the Disadvantages of a Democratic 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. 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 may create an unwelcome culture within the organization. For many it is someone who can inspire and get the most from their staff. Khan et al. On the other hand, employees are responsible for following instructions and meeting deadlines. People who step out of this line are quickly identified and brought back into the fold. They may also feel that the leadership does not care about their needs and desires which is unproductive for organisations. Company Reg no: 04489574. 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. Study notes, videos, interactive activities and more! Do you have a team of inexperienced employees? Inexperienced employees need a detailed layout and instructions to complete taskstraits an autocratic leader is known for. They will delegate to them the authority to do this (empowerment) and listen to their advice. - They are in complete . 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. 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. When a team leaders style can be summarized with my way or the highway, that leader can accurately be called an autocrat. Such leaders usually make decisions based on their own judgment and ideas. Instead of there being a democratic process for teams, there are no group positions of leadership with the autocratic style. Leadership styles There are many ways to lead and every leader has his or her own style. They consult employees over issues and listen to their feedback or opinions. Over time, this makes employee morale begin to sink. This is beneficial to reduce role ambiguity among the employees. Additionally, a leader like this improves workplace efficiency by instructing staff members on what to do and how to meet deadlines. Definition, Types, Reasons, and Ways To Overcome, What is Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle? If you liked any of these articles, please feel free to share with others by clicking on the social sharing icons. And they are accountable for the outcomes. in a time of crises). When this happens, productivity levels tend to decrease over time instead of increase. It also includes less feedback from the management levels. An autocratic workplace environment is typically not friendly to innovation or outside-the-box thinking, and this can leave workers feeling intellectually stifled. One of the greatest advantages to working with an autocratic leader is that the employee always knows what's expected and what will happen if they fail to perform as expected. There is no doubt that laissez-faire can bring significant disadvantages to an organisation - especially where conditions are not conducive to such a liberal style of management. Some people dont like the idea of coming up with new ideas. 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. If yes, then the best way to manage such teams is through autocratic leadership. 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. Professionals operating under this leadership can have lower confidence and slower decision-making skills. Team members may have opportunities to provide feedback; however, their feedback is highly unlikely to change the course of action. The three commonly observed leadership . Faster decision-making is the key to attaining organizational goals. Good leaders can produce great results. 10. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Autocratic Leadership, Poor Relationship Between the leader and Followers, Not Suitable for Large and Diversified Organizations, What is Organizational Change? High clarity on structure and roles Organizations with autocratic leaders usually have very clear lines and borders in between different areas. Autocratic style leads to frustration, low morale and conflict among subordinates. The ultimate democratic system occurs when decisions are made based on the majority view of all workers. Removes employee stress. 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). 1. Through close supervision and an emphasis on order and discipline, the autocratic leadership style allows everyone to focus on specific goals or targets to reach. Employees feel motivated and devote their maximum effort when they feel valued for their presence and contribution. It removes the pressure on the employees. Moreover, the instructions will go straight to the employees. Autocratic leaders are in charge and they make this fact known. This procedure often leads to the consistent delivery of projects and has a significant impact on the employees performance and productivity. Employee morale can also be negatively affected when autocratic leadership is employed. Autocratic leaders are often micromanagers. They must make every decision for the team. Here are the key advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership to consider. Control in the group is minimal; authority is shared among members. Although this kind of leadership can sound harsh at first, it can be very effective. When there is an autocratic leadership established within an organization, there are fewer levels of administration that must be kept informed of each decision. It can create negative emotions. 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. Subordinates are expected to comply with orders from their supervisors, who in turn are expected to comply with orders from their superiors. - They don't have group members, they have followers. This style tends to decrease employee performance when additional duties are imposed on the employees without consultation. Provides a clear sense of direction Anyone who's worked on a class group project knows the value of having a leader. Required fields are marked *. Employees, in turn, learn discipline and consistency from their leader. By providing clear instructions, oversight, and guidance, autocrats can speed up turnaround times and improve quality standards. People only thrive here is there is no investment in what they do. Autocratic leadership always encourages one-way communication to eliminate this problem. These environments allow for an error margin of zero. 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. They make the decision first and then announces it. 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. For employees, an environment where decision-making is solely the managers job can mean a relatively low stress environment. Workers can benefit from the competencies offered by their leader, replicating productivity by using the leaders knowledge and experience as a workplace asset. support and direction. However, excess control can also result in low employee morale and employee engagement. December 28, 2021 by Raj Verdhan. This can lead to burnout. The Disadvantages of Laissez-Faire 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. 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. Productivity levels can see increases with this leadership style. Sources: 9. These. Autocratic leadership is characterized by being highly structured and rigid style. Under autocratic leaders, subordinates would fear due to demands and expectations. Here're some benefits of autocratic leadership: Ensures faster decision making In autocratic leadership, there're fewer levels of administration and hierarchy that you inform before implementing the decision. After all, this is what good leadership is all about. 8. Key points of Advantages of autocratic leadership Highlights below: It allows for a fast decision to be made. Decentralisation and Leadership Styles (AQA Paper 1 2019, Q20) Exam Support What is leadership? There are numerous autocratic leadership strengths and weaknesses and sometimes, a characteristic thats a strength in one scenario is a weakness in another. Disadvantages. The productivity levels may be higher, but with no say in the process, resentment will quickly build. It encourages a higher churn rate. Autocratic leadership is . The retention rate can increase 4. List of Advantages of Autocracy Government 1. Likewise, Leona Helmsley of the Helmsley hotel chain andMartha Stewart of MSLO are also considered to have exercised this type of leadership style. - increases employee satisfaction and motivation. There is also less feedback from various levels of management which must be processed. Workers are forced to rely on the autocratic leader for all their feedback, instructions, and work duties. Whatever approach is predominately used it will be vital to the success of the business. autocratic leadership advantages and disadvantages? Succession planning can be defined asa business strategy organizations use to pass leadership roles down to another employee or group of employees. Faster decision-making Read more about each of these advantages in detail in our separate post: Laissez-Faire Leadership Advantages. 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. This is one of the autocratic leader strengths and weaknesses that is highly dependent on the workplace environment. This is yet another of the several, advantages of autocratic 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. Only the leader will weigh the pros and cons of every option instead of the entire C-suite. Disadvantages. The correct leadership approach used at the right time will foster a long-term employeeleader relationship. Understanding autocratic leadership strengths and weaknesses can be easier when one understands exactly which kinds of behaviors constitute autocratic leadership. 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. Organisational continuity is threatened in the absence of the leader . However, excess control can also result in low employee morale and employee engagement. for the employees, too. There is also less feedback from various levels of management which must be processed. Autocratic leadership is very similar to the authoritarian leadership style. Task 2.3 - Comparison of leadership style Autocratic Leadership Style: Mr. Worth took on a more autocratic approach to leadership by operating his office from the top floor of the company, and rarely interacting with his employees. Advantages of Bureaucratic Leadership Bureaucratic leadership works in so many ways0 Job security and results are both stable Favoritism is no longer a factor in the equation Roles, duties, and expectations are all evident A system of processes and rules that are extremely apparent creates a stronger level of job security Downsides of Autocratic Leadership While autocratic leadership can be beneficial at times, there are also many instances where this leadership style can be problematic. The leader does not have to deal with internal politics or disputes at the decision-making stage. He has the sole authority to command, direct, and instruct all the team members. On the other hand, employees are responsible for following instructions and meeting deadlines. 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. All rights reserved LCHW. the us american football coach vince lombardi is an example. Every leadership style comes with some benefits and weaknesses. Often, autocratic leaders are referred to as micromanagers. The leader defines goals and the limitations for action and then leaves the remaining process. In autocratic organizations, there are clearly defined tasks, roles, rules, and deadlines to follow. And, you know discipline is the key to achieving something. and lack of staff initiative (2015). 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. Did you know that autocratic leadership is great when it comes to handling crises? Paternalistic managers give more attention to the social needs and views of their workers. They prefer to set their objectives, plan of action, processes and methods independently. It reduces the amount of group input received. 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. For that reason, some entities using this structure create an inheritance chain which allows another person to step into the leadership role right away.

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