The communication in the autocratic leadership can be considered as "one-way" ( the manager say . On the other hand, employees are responsible for following instructions and meeting deadlines. When a team leaders style can be summarized with my way or the highway, that leader can accurately be called an autocrat. As such, between them, there is no communication and you know communication is a must for a healthy relationship. In this type of leadership, the rules and procedures that teams use are quite rigid. Workers can benefit from the competencies offered by their leader, replicating productivity by using the leaders knowledge and experience as a workplace asset. He is a lecturer in Management and Marketing. In this article, we outline some essential autocratic leadership pros and cons. Even workers who like to explore creative solutions dont mind an autocratic leader when they are allowed to pitch new ideas or offer an alternative decision based on their personal experience. It creates a lack of feedback. And, you know discipline is the key to achieving something. Did you know that autocratic leadership is great when it comes to handling crises? outline the advantages of this style, such as increased situational control, discipline over workers, short discussions, and group members knowing their roles and tasks. 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. 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. Communication is the systematic process of passing information from one person to another. Your email address will not be published. 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. If you know anything about democratic leadership, you will know that it sounds better than autocracy. As only the leader makes decisions, the management may or may not provide feedback. Do you have a team of inexperienced employees? Despite facing criticism, there are some tangible benefits that an autocratic leader brings to the company. The leader defines goals and the limitations for action and then leaves the remaining process. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenalpasti pilihan pelajar terhadap aliran sains dan pola pilihan mengikut tahap kefahaman pengetahuan asas sains. Autocratic leaders have the opportunity to take full control, responsibility and stress and build and maintain a productive operation. And they are accountable for the outcomes. Workers are less likely to stop their projects or ask for later deadlines because they receive timely decisions and communication from their leadership. 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. 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 . 5. 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. Quick decision: Quick decision making is guaranteed because a single person decides for the whole group. Business, sports, politics, and many other fields have witnessed a great number of autocratic leaders throughout the history. They make the decision first and then announces it. The Advantages of the Laissez-Faire Leadership Style Here is a list of the pros of the Laissez-Faire Leadership style: 1. - increases employee satisfaction and motivation. They, therefore, make all the strategic decisions without any or extremely little inputs from the people who work under them. So, there are advantages of the autocratic leadership style for the employees, too. Lets take a glimpse at who autocratic leaders are and what they do. One of the disadvantages of autocratic leadership is that it degrades the employees morale and motivation. Contrary to popular opinions, many organisations are well suited to the autocratic leadership type at some degree. 3. There is no gray area for employee performance in this type of environment, which can be comforting for employees. 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. The correct leadership approach used at the right time will foster a long-term employeeleader relationship. Since autocratic leadership ensures clearly defined structures, it clearly states what to do and how to do it. This is yet another of the several, advantages of autocratic leadership style. There are some work environments which require a high level of control. 214 High Street, It increases the work burden for the leader. - consultative although the manager will have the final say. Autocratic leadership is defined by a top-down approach when it comes to all decision-making, procedures, and policies within an organization. This leadership style doesnt have a specific training forum to attend or require knowledge of a specific theory of leadership. 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. By the time the information reaches the front-line employees doing most of the work, the entire original message could be lost. Degrades trust and morale: Autocratic leadership discourages input, which can make teams feel like their ideas are ignored and they're unable to contribute. 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. * The leaders set rules, and systems for their team members. Autocratic leaders make choices or decisions based on their own beliefs and do not involve others for their suggestion or advice. In time, this may result in fewer errors, which can provide a boost to revenues. For that reason, some entities using this structure create an inheritance chain which allows another person to step into the leadership role right away. It is most likely that well-known leaders or managers are successful due to a combination of personal characteristics and good training. 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 . Advantages. Its advantages are as follows: 1) An autocratic leader is in close control of the organization. Most autocratic leaders do not consider the opinions or abilities of their staff members while making decisions. employees also do not show their commitment to the organizational purpose. Such strict discipline ensures timely work completion of the organization. Each person involved in autocratic organizations knows their position and role in achieving the desired target. What is autocratic leadership and its advantages? Decentralisation and Leadership Styles (AQA Paper 1 2019, Q20) Exam Support What is leadership? For many it is someone who can inspire and get the most from their staff. It is a leadership style that is based on a lack of trust. Likewise, this style is also very effective when astringent synchronisation of processes is essential to productivity. Copyright 2017 2025. 9. Strict compliance becomes necessary. Other relevant articles for you are: Advantages and disadvantages of digital marketing, Advantages and disadvantages of franchising. But, what is autocratic leadership? St. Thomas University: What is Autocratic Leadership? 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 As such, here, every employee is abiding by strict discipline. As such people working under autocratic leaders are supposed to accept the guidance or orders of their leader without any disagreement. These were the autocratic leadership style advantages and disadvantages. However, this does not mean you should be satisfied with your current self and avoid growth. - There is a clear division between the followers and the leaders. Autocratic leaders exercise absolute control over the team. This lack of adaptability within your workforce can . They may also feel that the leadership does not care about their needs and desires which is unproductive for organisations. This leadership style can produce authoritative short-term results. VAT reg no 816865400. There may be dangerous situations or working environments which require complicated tasks to be completed. If that leader does not create a fair working environment, then it is difficult for any employees to change that environment. That means the personal morality of the leader becomes the corporate reality of the business. 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. Autocratic leaders have imperious or commanding personalities. A review of the teams work falls on their shoulders. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); At BokasTutor, We aim to provide easy and insightful explanations on different topics of disciplines like Management, Marketing, Finance, Business, and Entrepreneurship. But, the results always lead to corporate success. The competencies of the leader practicing autocratic leadership become the foundation for future success. According to Attner and Plunkett (1994) managers who use the autocratic leadership style do not share decision-making authority with their subordinates. 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). They must control the consistency at a personal level, which means they can no longer afford to give their team any freedom to operate. Check out Harappas, Autocratic Leadership Advantages and Disadvantages. Their expertise and experience can solve short-term issues. Definition, Types, Reasons, and Ways To Overcome, What is Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) Cycle? Although they set their rules and regulations to control the team, they also play a significant role in eradicating employee stress. List of the Advantages of the Autocratic Leadership Style 1. Low satisfaction also results in below performance than expectations. 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. Most autocratic leaders will not take the opinions, experiences, or knowledge of their team members into account when making decisions. Autocratic executives can affect more productive project completion since they spread information swiftly throughout a company. For employees, an environment where decision-making is solely the managers job can mean a relatively low stress environment. Full potential of subordinates and their creative ideas are not utilized. Nevertheless, autocratic leadership is one of the least popular management styles and certainly not suitable for each organisation. The second involves a leader refusing to take responsibility for work they personally instructed a worker to complete. According to St. Thomas University, democratic leadership is defined by mutual respect between the manager and their team members. It motivates staff by appealing to their personal desires and on instrumental economic transactions. That makes it almost impossible for leaders to leave the workplace, as workers can become so dependent on their decision-making abilities that nothing gets done if the leader is not present for some reason. It is one of the best. 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. 1. List of the Disadvantages of a Democratic Leadership Style. ? 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. - encourages independence and creativity. How was that going for you? When there is clear direction, with a path toward success, offered to workers, then they are able to focus on productivity instead of problem solving. You must have seen people with varied working styles, ways of talking, and traits. When there are multiple levels of leadership within an organization, a command from the top becomes like a childhood game of Telephone. They are bound to follow whatever the leaders ask them. 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. Autocratic leaders are like the captain of the ship. The leader shares defined roles and patterns of work with the employees. Charismatic leaders are usually adaptable and possess the power to make the followers feel comfortable with . 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. Autocratic leadership is a suitable option for small-sized organizations where a single leader can handle all the matters easily. List of the Advantages of Autocratic Leadership 1. 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. According to IPL.org, autocratic leadership is an extreme form of another kind of workplace leadership known as transactional leadership. This procedure often leads to the consistent delivery of projects and has a significant impact on the employees performance and productivity. Study notes, videos, interactive activities and more! Provides a clear sense of direction Anyone who's worked on a class group project knows the value of having a leader. The autocratic style provides fast crisis management benefits. 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. There are numerous autocratic leadership strengths and weaknesses and sometimes, a characteristic thats a strength in one scenario is a weakness in another. Authoritative leaders are most consistent in their approaches and systems. Only the leader will weigh the pros and cons of every option instead of the entire C-suite. Only the leader will weigh the pros and cons of every option instead of the entire C-suite. 1. Many prime ministers and presidents around the world are also well-known for their autocratic style. The following are the notable advantages and disadvantages of the autocratic leadership style in the workplace. 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. These environments allow for an error margin of zero. 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 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. If the results an autocratic leader achieves do not meet corporate expectations, then it can be difficult to correct the issue. Characteristics of autocratic leadership include: According to St. Thomas University, few famous autocratic leadership examples include: Like all other leadership styles, autocratic leadership has its advantages as well as its drawbacks. In this article, we outline some essential, This leadership style enables quick decision-making, which is one of the most significant. So, what are the autocratic leadership advantages and disadvantages? This working environment can leave employees feeling suppressed. Autocratic leaders are able to handle a crisis situation easily because they are the ones who are in charge. This is yet another of the several advantages of autocratic leadership style. That consistency leads toward corporate success. 1. Experienced, skilled workers tend to do better in an environment where their leader asks for their input in decision-making or even leaves decision-making entirely up to them. autocratic leadership advantages and disadvantages? Most of the time Mr. Worth was absent from the rest of the employees, he communicated through his assistant. 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. 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. 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. Transactional leadership is characterized by a leader/subordinate relationship governed by exchange, and with an autocratic leader, this exchange is total compliance with expectations for continued employment with the company. 2. Autocratic leadership always encourages one-way communication to eliminate this problem. the us american football coach vince lombardi is an example.