Many companies tend to turn to an autocratic leadership style when they need to create short-term results in an urgent way. 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. Through goremotely.net, stats reveal that 78% of the employees want to quit their jobs due to lack of recognition. Definition, Principles, Techniques, and Pros/Cons. Did you ever tell him about your awesome weekend? Because autocratic leaders are able to move information throughout an organization quickly, there are fewer delays in productivity. 9. Team members have creative freedom 3. 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. There are a number of vital benefits to autocratic leadership, according to the Houston Chronicle. This system leaves the employees stress-free. They must control the consistency at a personal level, which means they can no longer afford to give their team any freedom to operate. Business english 13. There is no doubting where fault lies of poor decisions. It creates focused targets for everyone. West Yorkshire, Faster decision-making is the key to attaining organizational goals. Autocratic leaders do not appreciate any inputs from their team members. It encourages a higher churn rate. Most of the time Mr. Worth was absent from the rest of the employees, he communicated through his assistant. If that leader goes away, then the team is unable to function because they were focused on their role. Strict compliance becomes necessary. What is the cons of autocratic leadership? The leader will need to create the system, with all the rules and procedures, in which the team uses to operate and reach goals. If you liked any of these articles, please feel free to share with others by clicking on the social sharing icons. Autocratic leadership is characterized by being highly structured and rigid style. However, they describe the disadvantages of this style as promoting staff defiance, lack of free . As autocratic leaders usually make decisions without consulting their team members, it may cause team members dislike towards the leadership. 2. There are fewer delays because best practices are being followed consistently. Did you know that autocratic leadership is great when it comes to handling crises? They can easily manage these issues because they're the only ones who get to call the shots. Autocratic leadership is a suitable option for small-sized organizations where a single leader can handle all the matters easily. Autocracy in the workplace also results in high employee turnover. advantages of democratic leadership. 3. 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. Increased autonomy 2. 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. Advantages. Safety is a top priority within the autocratic leadership style. This approach has limitations (as highlighted by other motivational theorists such as Mayo and Herzberg) but it can be effective in certain situations. 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. But, the results always lead to corporate success. As with other leadership styles, there are autocratic leadership advantages and disadvantages that can have a significant impact on a leader's employees . If the leader offers questionable ethics, however, and refuses to create fairness, then there is no one who can really hold that person accountable. Boston Spa, According to goremotley.net, around 83% of employers feel that it is crucial to create leaders at all levels. It is one of the best. can swiftly take the team out of trouble. There are some work environments which require a high level of control. It improves productivity. 1. That means the personal morality of the leader becomes the corporate reality of the business. Provides a clear sense of direction Anyone who's worked on a class group project knows the value of having a leader. We hope the article Advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership style has been helpful. There can be a lack of accountability within its structures. and lack of staff initiative (2015). 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. They even need guidance and instruction on how to, to do the given jobs. Autocratic leaders have imperious or commanding personalities. Autocratic leaders exercise absolute control over the team. They, therefore, make all the strategic decisions without any or extremely little inputs from the people who work under them. 5. 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. Autocratic leadership has a clearly defined chain of command. For example: When quick decisions are needed in a company (e.g. Pros of Autocracy The following sections below demonstrate. In most autocratic leadership structures, the leader is responsible for every action of the team. Autocratic leaders take the pressure off of their teams because they are fully responsible for the decisions that are made. They may also feel that the leadership does not care about their needs and desires which is unproductive for organisations. Its advantages are as follows: 1) An autocratic leader is in close control of the organization. Although in authoritarian leadership, there is one-way communication there also exists effective communication. The result is a more consistent and accurate output. Employees, in turn, learn discipline and consistency from their leader. That reduces the productivity available, and eventually leads to declining morale. This detailed article sheds light on some of the advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership style. Characteristics of autocratic leadership style. This system leaves the employees stress-free. employees also do not show their commitment to the organizational purpose. Disadvantages. It creates a lack of feedback. On the other hand, employees are responsible for following instructions and meeting deadlines. The ultimate democratic system occurs when decisions are made based on the majority view of all workers. List of the Advantages of the Autocratic Leadership Style 1. Autocratic leadership is suitable when the organization is small. It is most likely that well-known leaders or managers are successful due to a combination of personal characteristics and good training. 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. When this happens, productivity levels tend to decrease over time instead of increase. That means workers tend to not take ownership of the work they do because there is no incentive to do so. 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. The democratic leadership style does solicit for opinions, perspectives, and experiences. Increased Work Burden - encourages independence and creativity. Because all decisions are made by the leader, a new leader must be brought in, which requires everyone to start from scratch. Starting Business: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Autocratic Leadership, IPL.org: The Challenges of Autocratic Leadership Styles in Organizations and Individuals, Risk Vs. Autocratic leadership always encourages one-way communication to eliminate this problem. The result is a more consistent and accurate output. Motivation and reward for leaders: It provides strong motivation and reward for the leader. Fewer layers of administration and lesser feedback to look into facilitates swift decision-making in the team. If they face a decision in the work they are doing, they are almost forced to go to the leader for advice on what to do instead of making the decision on their own. 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. For that reason, some entities using this structure create an inheritance chain which allows another person to step into the leadership role right away. The leader is the only one who is in charge of the situation. It can create negative emotions. They wont get blamed if it fails and they wont get credit if it succeeds. Home Pros and Cons 11 Autocratic Leadership Advantages and Disadvantages. Instead of there being a democratic process for teams, there are no group positions of leadership with the autocratic style. - reduces staff turnover. On the other hand, employees are responsible for following instructions and meeting deadlines. The autocratic style provides fast crisis management benefits. 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. So, there are. ? This requires good two-way communication and often involves democratic discussion groups, which can offer useful suggestions and ideas. These types of interactions do not create a sustainable working relationship, which ultimately creates productivity problems as workers experience lower morale levels. These benefits of autocratic leadership can swiftly take the team out of trouble. 214 High Street, There are three main categories of leadership styles: autocratic, paternalistic and democratic. Understanding autocratic leadership strengths and weaknesses can be easier when one understands exactly which kinds of behaviors constitute autocratic leadership. Therefore, leaders who exercise autocratic leadership should follow a balanced process to attain organizational objectives. Leader Dependence. If you know anything about democratic leadership, you will know that it sounds better than autocracy. Fewer layers of administration and lesser feedback to look into facilitates swift decision-making in the team. Nevertheless, autocratic leadership is one of the least popular management styles and certainly not suitable for each organisation. In this kind of leadership mostly leader makes new contacts with outside people. What is autocratic leadership and its advantages? It is one of the biggest advantages of the autocratic leadership style. Autocratic leaders generally could use organizational . Only the leader will weigh the pros and cons of every option instead of the entire C-suite. 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. The leader is the only person to take the decision solely as they are in charge . Did you ever invite him for a drink? "An organisation is only as good as the person running it". 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. Because of the too much rigidity in the structure, and low growth opportunities, most of the experienced employees tend to leave the autocratic organizations. Required fields are marked *. This can mean the only employees who remain working with the company are unmotivated and even lazy individuals. That means the partnerships formed by the workers are with the rules, not with people, and that helps to drive down morale over time. You must have seen people with varied working styles, ways of talking, and traits. 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. The following are the notable advantages and disadvantages of the autocratic leadership style in the workplace. Paternalistic managers give more attention to the social needs and views of their workers. The second involves a leader refusing to take responsibility for work they personally instructed a worker to complete. Cons of autocratic leadership. 1. Subordinates tend to shirk responsibility and initiative. Many analysists also argue that this style usually leads to an absence of creative solutions to problems, which may ultimately hurt the group efforts. This form serves well when the . Advantages of Autocratic Leadership . This lack of adaptability within your workforce can . There may be dangerous situations or working environments which require complicated tasks to be completed. As only the leader makes decisions, the management may or may not provide feedback. It is an easy way to cut through administrative red tape to ensure better communication to all workers. The biggest problem is, no one talks about innovation and out-of-the-box ideas in this leadership style. Autocratic Leadership. Their expertise and experience can solve short-term issues. Due to this behaviour, the leader should yield the ultimate power and provide the employees with the motivation to work, i.e. Check out Harappas Inspiring Faculty Program and experience growth in your leadership now. 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. When there isnt enough time to learn something new or a project must be completed rapidly, this type of leadership is the best option. To be effective, people need to work in an environment where there is a trusting partnership. Authoritative leaders are most consistent in their approaches and systems. There may be situations when leaders are less qualified than their subordinates. It may impair the morale of the group. This procedure often leads to the consistent delivery of projects and has a significant impact on the employees performance and productivity. 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 . 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). 5. ", 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. They can replicate results because they are given specific instructions to follow. 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 Although they set their rules and regulations to control the team, they also play a significant role in eradicating employee stress. 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. Whatever approach is predominately used it will be vital to the success of the business. 3. Open lines of communication ensure that everyone on the team is working toward the same goal. Disadvantages: Although some managers adopt democratic leadership, it is just to please their subordinates but they do not follow the technique fully. They know themselves very well and try to bring people together to achieve the organisational goals. 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. Essentially, no one will be confused about the direction of a company or even the specific assignment they are working on. 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. Do you have to be born with the correct qualities or can you be taught to be a good leader? Autocratic leadership is defined by a top-down approach when it comes to all decision-making, procedures, and policies within an organization. Contrast this with an autocratic leader, who does not ask their team for their input when making a decision. It motivates staff by appealing to their personal desires and on instrumental economic transactions. Autocratic leaders are like the captain of the ship. It creates moments of insecurity within the leadership. But, this lacks in autocratic organizations. You may also like reading Advantages and disadvantages of private limited company. High clarity on structure and roles Organizations with autocratic leaders usually have very clear lines and borders in between different areas. One of the disadvantages of autocratic leadership is that it degrades the employees morale and motivation. In addition, in this style of leadership, managers don't take care of the opinions of their staff and ore not open to changes. And when it comes to long-term issues, autocratic leaders know how to direct traffic through the hierarchies. As such people working under autocratic leaders are supposed to accept the guidance or orders of their leader without any disagreement.