It motivates staff by appealing to their personal desires and on instrumental economic transactions. The leader defines goals and the limitations for action and then leaves the remaining process. Some people dont like the idea of coming up with new ideas. Contrast this with an autocratic leader, who does not ask their team for their input when making a decision. Create a leadership learning plan. 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 a leader is asked to operate in an authoritarian manner, it is difficult to turn that role on and off on-demand. employees also do not show their commitment to the organizational purpose. outline the advantages of this style, such as increased situational control, discipline over workers, short discussions, and group members knowing their roles and tasks. When there are multiple levels of leadership within an organization, a command from the top becomes like a childhood game of Telephone. They can switch back to a more delegative approach as team members gain more experience. Moreover, the instructions will go straight to the employees. Disadvantages: For that reason, some entities using this structure create an inheritance chain which allows another person to step into the leadership role right away. - consultative although the manager will have the final say. These environments allow for an error margin of zero. Therefore, leaders who exercise autocratic leadership should follow a balanced process to attain organizational objectives. But it becomes ineffective in large and diversified organizations. Disadvantages. Due to this behaviour, the leader should yield the ultimate power and provide the employees with the motivation to work, i.e. The autocratic leadership style is highly dependent upon the leader. Cons of autocratic leadership. advantages of the autocratic leadership style, autocratic leadership style advantages and disadvantages. Do you have to be born with the correct qualities or can you be taught to be a good leader? One of the primary characteristics of autocratic leadership is a clearly defined chain of command. Autocratic leaders ignore the skills of competent workers. December 28, 2021 by Raj Verdhan. Autocratic leaders dont deal with the hassle of multiple leadership levels. They must make every decision for the team. Most autocratic leaders do not consider the opinions or abilities of their staff members while making decisions. If that leader goes away, then the team is unable to function because they were focused on their role. Strong sense of control and direction: Autocratic leaders provide clear direction and expectations for their team members, which can create a sense of order and stability. List of the Advantages of the Autocratic Leadership Style 1. The leader will need to create the system, with all the rules and procedures, in which the team uses to operate and reach goals. Provides a clear sense of direction Anyone who's worked on a class group project knows the value of having a leader. This system leaves the employees stress-free. On the other hand, employees are responsible for following instructions and meeting deadlines. Autocratic leaders are typically trusted with decisions or important tasks. After all, this is what good leadership is all about. Required fields are marked *. The autocratic style provides fast crisis management benefits. Inexperienced employees need a detailed layout and instructions to complete taskstraits an autocratic leader is known for. 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. At times, the original instruction may get lost within complex and multiple channels of communication. Although they set their rules and regulations to control the team, they also play a significant role in eradicating employee stress. Although their primary aim should be to achieve business goals, as leaders, it is also their responsibility to add value to employees. The employees have clear and strict job descriptions and know what to do and what is expected of them. This improves the speed of decisions because only one person is weighing the pros and cons of each choice, not a C-Suite. When a team leaders style can be summarized with my way or the highway, that leader can accurately be called an autocrat. It will also highlight team members that have strong creative skills and those that do not. How was that going for you? Safety is a top priority within the autocratic leadership style. It can create negative emotions. What is Laissez-Faire Leadership? But, this lacks in autocratic organizations. That means workers tend to not take ownership of the work they do because there is no incentive to do so. With a clear corporate hierarchy in place, every member of the organization knows not only who they report to, but who their boss reports to. In this article, we outline some essential, This leadership style enables quick decision-making, which is one of the most significant. That means workers who are highly skilled or motivated begin to lose their incentives to stay active under this leadership structure. There is also less feedback from various levels of management which must be processed. The correct leadership approach used at the right time will foster a long-term employeeleader relationship. 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. That means all creative decisions originate from the leader. Although creativity, independent thinking, and new processes are included as part of the overall leadership style, their implementation is not a top priority. Such times require a leader with the ability to give instructions or guide and direct to those under his or her authority. Fewer layers of administration and lesser feedback to look into facilitates swift decision-making in the team. When the leaders are taking ownership for the quality of the completed work, there is no opportunity for team members to do so. 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. 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. LS23 6AD It is a leadership style that is based on a lack of trust. Check out Harappas, Autocratic Leadership Advantages and Disadvantages. Inexperienced employees lack the ability to understand the outlined rules and regulations of the organization. On the other hand, employees are responsible for following instructions and meeting deadlines. Such strict discipline ensures timely work completion of the organization. Communication is the systematic process of passing information from one person to another. However, this is not feasible for the majority of decisions taken by a business- indeed one of the criticisms of this style is that it can take longer to reach a decision. The advantages of Autocratic Leadership are: 1. 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. Tel: +44 0844 800 0085. If the leader offers questionable ethics, however, and refuses to create fairness, then there is no one who can really hold that person accountable. 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. Each person involved in autocratic organizations knows their position and role in achieving the desired target. The foundation of the autocratic leadership style is one built on mistrust. What is the cons of autocratic leadership? If yes, then the best way to manage such teams is through autocratic leadership. It is a leadership style that can be applied in three different ways. There may be dangerous situations or working environments which require complicated tasks to be completed. That means many leaders practicing this leadership style eventually turn into micromanagers, even if that is not their intent. Moreover, the instructions will go straight to the employees. 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. Disadvantages. This detailed article sheds light on some of the advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership style. Although they set their rules and regulations to control the team, they also play a significant role in eradicating employee stress. The Advantages of the Laissez-Faire Leadership Style Here is a list of the pros of the Laissez-Faire Leadership style: 1. As autocratic leaders usually make decisions without consulting their team members, it may cause team members dislike towards the leadership. Autocratic Leadership Advantages and Disadvantages: Advantages: It allows for fast decisions to be made: - An autocratic leadership includes fewer levels of administration levels that are to be informed. 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. Control in the group is minimal; authority is shared among members. There is nothing complicated about the autocratic leadership style. Find out more. The theory, which is generally linked with autocratic leadership, assumes employees don't like to work and tend to focus on fulfilling self-interests. To be effective, people need to work in an environment where there is a trusting partnership. But, the results always lead to corporate success. In addition, normally, inexperienced employees are rules followers. Managers are interested in how happy workers feel and in many ways they act as a father figure (pater means father in Latin). Starting Business: The Advantages and Disadvantages of Autocratic Leadership, IPL.org: The Challenges of Autocratic Leadership Styles in Organizations and Individuals, Risk Vs. Likewise, this style is also very effective when astringent synchronisation of processes is essential to productivity. Inexperienced teams can still produce experienced results. 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. There are many qualities that are needed to be a good leader or manager. Your email address will not be published. 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. Its main weakness is that it hinges heavily on the abilities and temperament of your employees. People who rely on this leadership style are often viewed as dictators or bossy. Attner, R. and Plunkett, W. (1994) Introduction to management, 5th edition, California: Wadsworth, Inc. Murphy, M. (2019) Does anyone actually like autocratic leaders? The leader is the only person to take the decision solely as they are in charge . The idea here is that with a centralised control, giving guidance and direction to employees is relatively easy. Pros of Autocracy The following sections below demonstrate. However, according to Schaeffer (2002) autocratic leaders are not those who bully people needlessly. and lack of staff initiative (2015). 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 Do you have a team of inexperienced employees? And what are. Advantages Quick decision making: This comes in handy when a leader is governing a small group or business. 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. The leader shares defined roles and patterns of work with the employees. Since autocratic leadership ensures clearly defined structures, it clearly states what to do and how to do it. 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. If you liked any of these articles, please feel free to share with others by clicking on the social sharing icons. They wont get blamed if it fails and they wont get credit if it succeeds. Because it is the autocratic leaders reputation on the line, not the worker doing the job, those in this type of position tend to supervise every small detail of the work being done. The advantages and disadvantages of the autocratic leadership style show that it can be effective when an organization requires quick, accurate decisions from an experienced leader. Communication is the systematic process of passing information from one person to another. Increased Work Burden St. Thomas University: What is Democratic/Participative Leadership? Because of the too much rigidity in the structure, and low growth opportunities, most of the experienced employees tend to leave the autocratic organizations. Everything rests with the leader. If that leader does not create a fair working environment, then it is difficult for any employees to change that environment. Sources: 9. Therefore, they may not contribute to the team efforts as they should. 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. Every crisis or decision lies on their shoulders. We hope the article Advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership style has been helpful. 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. Lindsay Kramer has been a small business owner since 2014. Their expertise and experience can solve short-term issues. Unfortunately, they might not appreciate the advice of their team members. This can be achieved by reviewing autocratic leadership examples. Likewise, Leona Helmsley of the Helmsley hotel chain andMartha Stewart of MSLO are also considered to have exercised this type of leadership style. There may be situations when leaders are less qualified than their subordinates. This process may create a powerful and positive impact on their performance. If there is a short-term problem, the expertise of the leader can be used to create a solution. 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. Autocratic leadership is a type of leadership that is individual-centric. Their expertise and experience can solve short-term issues. As only the leader makes decisions, the management may or may not provide feedback. How Procedures Can Improve Efficiency, available at: https://online.stu.edu/articles/education/autocratic-leadership.aspx (accessed 06 April 2021). There is no need to recognize emotions, respond to personal issues, or find other ways of motivation. They can easily manage these issues because theyre the only ones who get to call the shots. 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. 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. That means leaders using this style tend to be busier than other leaders. As in an autocratic organization, a single leader is involved in decision-making, he makes decisions based on his own logic and judgment. That consistency leads toward corporate success. - increases employee satisfaction and motivation. 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. This is yet another of the several, advantages of autocratic leadership style. Advantages of charismatic leadership style. They may sometimes ask their team members to provide feedback, however, the feedback is highly unlikely to change the decisions. Organisational continuity is threatened in the absence of the leader . Quick decision: Quick decision making is guaranteed because a single person decides for the whole group. Some are collaborative and inspiring, while some are authoritative and controlling. Leaders are of different types. They prefer to set their objectives, plan of action, processes and methods independently. It allows for fast decisions to be made. In this kind of leadership mostly leader makes new contacts with outside people. These benefits of autocratic leadership can swiftly take the team out of trouble. An autocratic leadership style is similar to an authoritarian leadership style. Moreover, they also like to enjoy the credit for the projects success, leaving the employees disheartened. Only the leader will weigh the pros and cons of every option instead of the entire C-suite. Managers deal with their employees in different ways. That means a decision is made on the timetable of the leader and no one else. We all had, in one job or another, a boss who was feared by everyone. All operations, methods, processes and delegations are decided by the autocratic leader and only by him. Downsides of Autocratic Leadership While autocratic leadership can be beneficial at times, there are also many instances where this leadership style can be problematic. Paternalistic managers give more attention to the social needs and views of their workers. In this type of leadership, the rules and procedures that teams use are quite rigid. Home Pros and Cons 11 Autocratic Leadership Advantages and Disadvantages. List of Advantages of Autocracy Government 1. Autocratic leadership always encourages one-way communication to eliminate this problem. 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. One of the hallmarks of autocratic leadership is that the leader comes to his decisions quickly. A work environment where autocratic leadership style is exercised is usually not friendly to innovation or creative thinking. Let's explore whether an autocratic leadership style is the right one for you: Benefits of Autocratic Leadership Style. Autocratic leadership eliminates this issue because the command goes straight to the workers involved. Autocratic leadership is defined by a top-down approach when it comes to all decision-making, procedures, and policies within an organization. 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. Did you ever invite him for a drink? What makes a good leader or manager? The ultimate democratic system occurs when decisions are made based on the majority view of all workers. In autocratic organizations, there are clearly defined tasks, roles, rules, and deadlines to follow. The Disadvantages of Impulsive Management, Management Styles That Elevate vs. Devalue Employees. That means there is a priority on consistency, with each team member performing their job functions in a similar way. Employees do not get recognition for their efforts. There is also less feedback from various levels of management which must be processed. There Is No Room for Flexibility. This can mean the only employees who remain working with the company are unmotivated and even lazy individuals. Full potential of subordinates and their creative ideas are not utilized. It is a style which dictates how people are supposed to work. At times, the original instruction may get lost within complex and multiple channels of communication. Autocracy in the workplace also results in high employee turnover. Many companies have been forced to completely reset their under-performing teams because the leadership in place formed the identity of everyone involved. It creates focused targets for everyone. It may impair the morale of the group. So, what are the autocratic leadership advantages and disadvantages? There are two reasons why the autocratic leadership style encourages an overall lack of accountability. 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. List of the Advantages of Autocratic Leadership 1. The second involves a leader refusing to take responsibility for work they personally instructed a worker to complete. In most autocratic leadership structures, the leader is responsible for every action of the team. When controlling large numbers of low skilled workers. In many ways, it could be described as, Do it my way or go hit the highway. Workers get the job done, or else they go find a different job. . It is a leadership style that is very easy to learn. 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. 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. However, excess control can also result in low employee morale and employee engagement. The autocratic style provides fast crisis management benefits. Because of the vertical or one-way communication channel subordinates do not get the opportunity to share their ideas and thoughts. Definition and Pros/Cons, Demings 14 Points For Quality Management [Explained], What is Deming Management? As such, here, every employee is abiding by strict discipline. He holds an MSc in Tourism & Hospitality from the University of Sunderland. 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. 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. It is therefore easy for the autocratic leaders to make the organisational goals clear to the subordinates resulting in better and higher commitment to the accomplishment of the goals. Did you know that autocratic leadership is great when it comes to handling crises? The employee doesnt have to worry about anything beyond performing their job duties properly, and for many employees, this is much less mentally taxing than an environment where they're expected to pitch ideas and weigh in on business strategies. 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? But, the results always lead to corporate success. 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. The quality of a team, structure, or organization practicing autocratic leadership is dependent upon the ethics of the leader in charge. They even need guidance and instruction on how to, to do the given jobs. When the leader is the only person in the organization who makes decisions and determines the companys strategy, they can easily feel overwhelmed. Other relevant articles for you are: Advantages and disadvantages of digital marketing, Advantages and disadvantages of franchising. Most autocratic leaders will not take the opinions, experiences, or knowledge of their team members into account when making decisions. Managers do not trust workers and simply give orders (one-way communication) that they expect to be obeyed. They use their personal experiences to form rules or regulations that translate into step-by-step instructions for workers to follow. There is just one person in charge. 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. Lets take a glimpse at who autocratic leaders are and what they do. Autocracy has many benefits as well as some drawbacks. In addition, the leaders directly communicate to their followers where the work is to be done. is myles garrett married, crowdstrike supported operating systems,