Advantages and Disadvantages of Autocratic Leadership - LetsLearnFinance 2. For many it is someone who can inspire and get the most from their staff. One of the hallmarks of autocratic leadership is that the leader comes to his decisions quickly. It creates a lack of feedback. Quick decision: Quick decision making is guaranteed because a single person decides for the whole group. These environments allow for an error margin of zero. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages to consider with the autocratic leadership style. Such leaders usually make decisions based on their own judgment and ideas. Did you know that autocratic leadership is great when it comes to handling crises? Although this form of leadership is often found within the government, it is also present in some corporate structures as well. 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 . Faster decision-making is the key to attaining organizational goals. A clear chain of command is important in certain environments, like the military. Autocratic Leadership: Definition, Examples, and Pros and Cons 5. They arent required to wait for the feedback from senior managers or consult with a leadership team. advantages of democratic leadership. 1. Most autocratic leaders will not take the opinions, experiences, or knowledge of their team members into account when making decisions. Essentially, no one will be confused about the direction of a company or even the specific assignment they are working on. Because this leadership creates a system of dependence. 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. List of the Disadvantages of Authoritarian Leadership It may cause some employees to rebel. In this article, we outline some essential autocratic leadership pros and cons. Every leadership style comes with some benefits and weaknesses. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of each leadership style There are numerous autocratic leadership strengths and weaknesses and sometimes, a characteristic thats a strength in one scenario is a weakness in another. Motivation and reward for leaders Effective where a chain of command is crucial And they are accountable for the outcomes. 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. This lack of adaptability within your workforce can . 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. and lack of staff initiative (2015). 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. 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. These types of interactions do not create a sustainable working relationship, which ultimately creates productivity problems as workers experience lower morale levels. Autocracy Pros and Cons of Autocracy: Are There Reasons to Get a Grip? Some of the more common styles include autocratic, bureaucratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. 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. 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. Autocratic leadership eradicates this confusion as the command goes straight to the people involved. Because of poor coordination, low job satisfaction, low motivation, etc. 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. There are three main categories of leadership styles: autocratic, paternalistic and democratic. All the standard operating procedures are also followed. In addition, the leaders directly communicate to their followers where the work is to be done. What are advantages and disadvantages of Autocratic or Authoritarian Some are collaborative and inspiring, while some are authoritative and controlling. 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. When the leaders are taking ownership for the quality of the completed work, there is no opportunity for team members to do so. What makes a good leader or manager? The first involves the work that gets done. 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 leadership is a suitable option for small-sized organizations where a single leader can handle all the matters easily. 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. However, there are some advantages of autocratic leadership as well. Faster decision-making Read more about each of these advantages in detail in our separate post: Laissez-Faire Leadership Advantages. This is one of the autocratic leader strengths and weaknesses that is highly dependent on the workplace environment. Such times require a leader with ability to give instructions or guide and direct to those under his or her authority. The leader shares defined roles and patterns of work with the employees. But that is not the case always, there are many instances when autocratic leadership has proved itself a desirable option in the organizational setting. can swiftly take the team out of trouble. The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Autocratic Leadership Autocratic leadership is suitable when the organization is small. The leader shares defined roles and patterns of work with the employees. M Rahman writes extensively online and offline with an emphasis on business management, marketing, and tourism. There may be dangerous situations or working environments which require complicated tasks to be completed. Autocratic leaders are typically trusted with decisions or important tasks. The manager will however make the actual decisions (in the best interests of the workers) as they believe the staff still need direction and in this way it is still somewhat of an autocratic approach. Individual decision making: Less competent sub-managers can be used only to carry out the orders of the boss. The leader is the only one who is in charge of the situation. As such, it becomes the right choice for employees who thrive when they are told what to do. 10 leadership styles and their pros and cons - Torch In a negative work environment, they also have the power to micromanage, enforce employee dependence, bully and generally mistreat their team. It encourages a higher churn rate. employees also do not show their commitment to the organizational purpose. When there is an autocratic leadership established within an organization, there are fewer levels of administration that must be kept informed of each decision. That reduces the productivity available, and eventually leads to declining morale. You can be an authentic leader; you constantly grow and betters yourself. It may create an unwelcome culture within the organization. There is just one person in charge. democratic leadership. The theory, which is generally linked with autocratic leadership, assumes employees don't like to work and tend to focus on fulfilling self-interests. php/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-autocratic- leadership-6069 According to Attner and Plunkett (1994) managers who use the autocratic leadership style do not share decision-making authority with their subordinates. This leadership style makes it difficult to correct poor results. 4. Although this kind of leadership can sound harsh at first, it can be very effective. If yes, then the best way to manage such teams is through autocratic leadership. When an autocratic leadership style is used in these situations, then the control the policies and procedures provide encourage a deeper commitment to safety. According to St Thomas University (2018) the autocratic leadership process generally entails one person making all the strategic decisions for their subordinates. * Very limited or no input at all from the subordinates. They consult employees over issues and listen to their feedback or opinions. Advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership You must have seen people with varied working styles, ways of talking, and traits. Although they set their rules and regulations to control the team, they also play a significant role in eradicating employee stress. outline the advantages of this style, such as increased situational control, discipline over workers, short discussions, and group members knowing their roles and tasks. Autocratic leadership, however, has. Such times require a leader with the ability to give instructions or guide and direct to those under his or her authority. It is an easy way to cut through administrative red tape to ensure better communication to all workers. 8. Lets take a glimpse at who autocratic leaders are and what they do. 6 Advantages and Disadvantages of Autocracy Government The result is a more consistent and accurate output. Some people dont like the idea of coming up with new ideas. Charismatic leaders are usually adaptable and possess the power to make the followers feel comfortable with . Despite facing criticism, there are some tangible benefits that an autocratic leader brings to the company. For that reason, some entities using this structure create an inheritance chain which allows another person to step into the leadership role right away. 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. Many analysts argue that late Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple Inc.), Elon Musk, and to some extent Bill Gates are autocratic leaders. Disadvantages. To be effective, people need to work in an environment where there is a trusting partnership. Such a group process usually, takes a longer time to come to decision. Increased autonomy 2. 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. It is a style which dictates how people are supposed to work. This process may create a powerful and positive impact on their performance. Autocratic (or authoritarian) managers like to make all the important decisions and closely supervise and control workers. Team members may have opportunities to provide feedback; however, their feedback is highly unlikely to change the course of action. Autocratic leadership is one-directional, top-down leadership. Motivation and reward for leaders: It provides strong motivation and reward for the leader. Autocratic Leadership Advantages And Disadvantages - Harappa Bureaucratic Leadership - Definition, Advantages and Disadvantages And when it comes to long-term issues, autocratic leaders know how to direct traffic through the hierarchies. List of the Advantages of the Autocratic Leadership Style 1. What is the cons of autocratic leadership? Autocratic leaders tend to do well in these settings because they ensure that projects are finished on time and that workers follow safety rules to prevent accidents and injuries. Autocratic leaders cant make trust a priority because they are forced to make the rules be the priority.