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. A work environment where autocratic leadership style is exercised is usually not friendly to innovation or creative thinking. The Disadvantages of Laissez-Faire Leadership. Definition, Types, Reasons, and Ways To Overcome, What is Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle? It also includes less feedback from the management levels. When this happens, productivity levels tend to decrease over time instead of increase. However, they describe the disadvantages of this style as promoting staff defiance, lack of free . Dependent on the leader: Organizational success is entirely dependent on the leader and their ideas, which can endanger the stability of the organization. The leader is the only person to take the decision solely as they are in charge . After all, this is what good leadership is all about. Autocratic leadership is a type of leadership that is individual-centric. Because of one-way communication and lack of recognition employees do not get the answers to the questions they deserve. In fact, some characteristics of autocratic leadership can be considered advantages in some situations and drawbacks in others. It is a leadership style that can be applied in three different ways. Contrary to popular opinions, many organisations are well suited to the autocratic leadership type at some degree. Managers do not trust workers and simply give orders (one-way communication) that they expect to be obeyed. Autocratic leadership is one-directional, top-down leadership. They know themselves very well and try to bring people together to achieve the organisational goals. What is Laissez-Faire Leadership? Because of the vertical or one-way communication channel subordinates do not get the opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts. This is beneficial to reduce role ambiguity among the employees. They will delegate to them the authority to do this (empowerment) and listen to their advice. Definition and Pros/Cons, Demings 14 Points For Quality Management [Explained], What is Deming Management? Faster decision-making Read more about each of these advantages in detail in our separate post: Laissez-Faire Leadership Advantages. Quick decision: Quick decision making is guaranteed because a single person decides for the whole group. Degrades trust and morale: Autocratic leadership discourages input, which can make teams feel like their ideas are ignored and they're unable to contribute. * Very limited or no input at all from the subordinates. Employees, in turn, learn discipline and consistency from their leader. What is the cons of autocratic leadership? Humans are by nature different from each other; still, experts try to categorize them into various segments. A democratic style of management will put trust in employees and encourage them to make decisions. West Yorkshire, What leads to a successful working relationship is an ability of workers to have trust in their leaders, and vice-versa. Inexperienced employees need a detailed layout and instructions to complete taskstraits an autocratic leader is known for. Autocratic leadership, however, has. 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. After all, this is what good leadership is all about. In the directing format, the subordinates of the leader are told what to do, how to do it, and when the deadline happens to be. Many analysts argue that late Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple Inc.), Elon Musk, and to some extent Bill Gates are autocratic leaders. 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. 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. It removes the pressure on the employees. Since organisation is key to a well-operated business, autocratic leadership can prove useful in situations where the organisation could advance within the company. Inexperienced employees lack the ability to understand the outlined rules and regulations of the organization. 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 analysists also argue that this style usually leads to an absence of creative solutions to problems, which may ultimately hurt the group efforts. Starting Business: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Autocratic Leadership, IPL.org: The Challenges of Autocratic Leadership Styles in Organizations and Individuals, Risk Vs. So, there are. Over time, this makes employee morale begin to sink. But, what is autocratic leadership? There are many qualities that are needed to be a good leader or manager. It is most likely that well-known leaders or managers are successful due to a combination of personal characteristics and good training. However, according to Schaeffer (2002) autocratic leaders are not those who bully people needlessly. They can switch back to a more delegative approach as team members gain more experience. They may sometimes ask their team members to provide feedback, however, the feedback is highly unlikely to change the decisions. When the leader is the only person in the organization who makes decisions and determines the companys strategy, they can easily feel overwhelmed. democratic leadership. You can be an authentic leader; you constantly grow and betters yourself. There are three main categories of leadership styles: autocratic, paternalistic and democratic. They use their personal experiences to form rules or regulations that translate into step-by-step instructions for workers to follow. The employees have clear and strict job descriptions and know what to do and what is expected of them. All the standard operating procedures are also followed. But, in an autocratic environment, there is no employee participation and their concerns are ignored. But, the results always lead to corporate success. 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. Autocratic leaders take the pressure off of their teams because they are fully responsible for the decisions that are made. Many companies tend to turn to an autocratic leadership style when they need to create short-term results in an urgent way. Faster decision-making is the key to attaining organizational goals. They must control the consistency at a personal level, which means they can no longer afford to give their team any freedom to operate. Therefore, leaders who exercise autocratic leadership should follow a balanced process to attain organizational objectives. For employees, an environment where decision-making is solely the managers job can mean a relatively low stress environment. 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). It increases the work burden for the leader. By the time the information reaches the front-line employees doing most of the work, the entire original message could be lost. 8. Everything rests with the leader. People who rely on this leadership style are often viewed as dictators or bossy. Control in the group is minimal; authority is shared among members. There is no gray area for employee performance in this type of environment, which can be comforting for employees. Autocratic leadership, however, has always been under the scanner. However, this does not mean you should be satisfied with your current self and avoid growth. In addition, normally, inexperienced employees are rules followers. 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. Open lines of communication ensure that everyone on the team is working toward the same goal. This creates more speed, better productivity, and enhanced efficiencies within the workplace. Required fields are marked *. Copyright 2017 2025. Did you ever invite him for a drink? Employees feel motivated and devote their maximum effort when they feel valued for their presence and contribution. Autocratic leaders generally could use organizational . There are two reasons why the autocratic leadership style encourages an overall lack of accountability. Although they set their rules and regulations to control the team, they also play a significant role in eradicating employee stress. Autocratic leadership is very similar to the authoritarian leadership style. 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. There is also less feedback from various levels of management which must be processed. Professionals operating under this leadership can have lower confidence and slower decision-making skills. In some situations, this leadership . Autocratic leaders dont deal with the hassle of multiple leadership levels. Autocratic style leads to frustration, low morale and conflict among subordinates. In . They may also feel that the leadership does not care about their needs and desires which is unproductive for organisations. 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. They, therefore, make all the strategic decisions without any or extremely little inputs from the people who work under them. More Cautious This is one of the autocratic leader strengths and weaknesses that is highly dependent on the workplace environment. On the other hand, employees are responsible for following instructions and meeting deadlines. 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. Some are collaborative and inspiring, while some are authoritative and controlling. That means the partnerships formed by the workers are with the rules, not with people, and that helps to drive down morale over time. Unfortunately, they might not appreciate the advice of their team members. The Disadvantages of Impulsive Management, Management Styles That Elevate vs. Devalue Employees. Do you have to be born with the correct qualities or can you be taught to be a good leader? Do you have a team of inexperienced employees? This can be beneficial for organizations that need to maintain a strong sense of control and predictability. Boston House, It encourages a higher churn rate. Likewise, this style is also very effective when astringent synchronisation of processes is essential to productivity. 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. 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. If that leader goes away, then the team is unable to function because they were focused on their role. It improves productivity. 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. employees also do not show their commitment to the organizational purpose. It gets even worse if workers can voice an opinion that is never utilized. LS23 6AD 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. Additionally, a leader like this improves workplace efficiency by instructing staff members on what to do and how to meet deadlines. Attner, R. and Plunkett, W. (1994) Introduction to management, 5th edition, California: Wadsworth, Inc. Murphy, M. (2019) Does anyone actually like autocratic leaders? At times, the original instruction may get lost within complex and multiple channels of communication.