The Autocratic leadership , also known as authoritarian leadership is a leadership style characterized by individual control of the leader on all decisions and little input from members of the group. Autocratic leaders often make decisions based on their ideas and judgments and rarely accept the advice of the rest, pushing for absolute and authoritarian control over the group.
Contents
- 1What is an autocratic leader?
- 2What is an autocrat?
- 3What is it to be an authoritarian leader?
- 4How does an autocratic leader make decisions?
- 5What can an autocratic leader contribute to a company?
- 6What is laissez faire leadership?
What is an autocratic leader?
Some of the main characteristics of autocratic leadership include:
- Little or no input from group members.
- The autocratic leader is the one who makes the majority of decisions.
- Group leaders dictate all work methods and processes.
- Group members are rarely entrusted with important tasks.
- The work tends to be very structured and rigid.
- Creativity and creative thinking tend to be discouraged.
- Rules are important and are often clearly outlined and communicated
Although, for many, the autocratic with his dictatorial style is not recommended, since it can be counterproductive to the team’s morale, it can be beneficial in some cases, such as when decisions must be made quickly without consulting a large group of people .
Some projects require strong leadership to get tasks done quickly and efficiently . When the leader is the most informed person in the group, the autocratic style can lead to quick and effective decisions, although we must not forget that it has a negative side, which comes to light when it is used excessively or applied to groups or situations. wrong.
What is an autocrat?
Autocrat or authoritarian is the leader who exercises his functions following the autocratic leadership style. For many it is someone who imposes his will at all costs , a figure comparable to that of a dictator, although, in practice, there are those who defend this way of leading the group.
Specifically, autocratic leadership can be useful in the following situations:
- In small groups where leadership is lacking. A strong leader who uses an autocratic style can take charge of the group, assign tasks to different members, and set solid deadlines for projects to be completed. These types of group projects tend to work best when a person is assigned the role of leader, since by setting clear roles, assigning tasks, and setting deadlines, the group is more likely to complete the project on time and all contributions are comparable and, therefore, fairer.
- In pressure situations and particularly stressful environments. In these types of cases, autocratic leadership allows group members to focus on performing specific taskswithout worrying about making complex decisions. This also allows group members to acquire a great ability to perform certain tasks, which is ultimately beneficial to overall success.
- In repetitive jobs, suchas in production environments. In these situations, it is essential that each person has a clearly assigned task, a deadline and rules to follow. Autocratic leaders tend to be successful in these settings because they ensure that projects are completed on time and that workers follow safety rules to prevent accidents and injuries.
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What is it to be an authoritarian leader?
The authoritarian leader exercises an autocratic leadership style characterized by:
- Make decisions without consulting the group and making it difficult for others to contribute ideas.
- Ignore the knowledge and experience that group members could bring to the situation.
- Limit the contribution of individuals to the group, damaging team morale in some cases.
However, there is no single way to implement the autocratic leadership style , in fact, it can take different degrees, including more benevolent behavior where, although the leader is still in charge of decision-making, with the power structure built around a conventional hierarchical model, there is a little more confidence in subordinates, with the motivation derived from rewards instead of punishment. Thus, instead of having subordinates complete tasks for fear of being fired, for example, the leader uses positive rewards.
How does an autocratic leader make decisions ?
The figure of the business leader usually varies according to the type of company, its internal organization, its goals and the commercial field in which it operates.
However, the differences between the types of leaders also depend on the attitude that the person designated for such function has towards their work team. That is, how receptive it is when making decisions. Remember that the value and effectiveness of a business leader are measured, above all, in his ability to manage and respond to different challenges.
In practice, this criterion has given rise to a wide range of business leaders, with more or less openness to third parties, among which the natural, participatory, charismatic, bureaucratic and autocratic stand out.
One of the best-known models is that of the autocratic leader. Although it focuses decision-making on one person, it is a type of leadership that continues to be used by numerous companies in various sectors. Where, then, is your secret? What contributions do you make to the good management of a company?
The word autocracy comes from the Greek “autos” (self-made) and “kratos” (government, power, force), something that, brought to the business field, means decision-making by a single person or figure.
Experience has shown that autocratic leaders share a series of elements in their personality and character: they are dominant, demanding, restrictive, distrustful and highly capable of controlling situations. Let’s see some characteristics of this leadership model:
- The leader does not allow participation or discussionwithin the group. If so, the degree of intervention of the other members will be minimal.
- The leader does not delegate responsibilities. He is solely responsible for the situation.
- The leader owns the information,which does not circulate among the members of the work team. Therefore, decisions will be the sole task of the leader.
- The leader has full control of the process. You can change the members of your team if you wish and without the approval of a committee. Authority rests solely with his figure.
What can an autocratic leader contribute to a company?
The rigidity and low participation of other members of the work team are some of the most criticized aspects of the autocratic model. In fact, from there, new leadership strategies have been designed based on openness, the involvement of third parties and the motivation of work groups.
It is clear that an exaggerated use of this model can end up generating fear and frustration among employees, all within a work environment that is not conducive to the proper functioning of a company.
However, autocratic leadership is still in force because it provides the necessary management elements in certain cases: firmness, decision, efficiency and, above all, an immediate search for solutions to any type of challenge. Some of the main advantages of the autocratic model are:
- It is efficient,especially in short-term processes in which the results are decisive or there is little margin for error.
- It offers quick and effective solutionsat exceptional times. In these cases, the opening of opinion to third parties could unsuccessfully delay the process.
- Increases supervision over workers,causing an immediate response from them and, in most cases, an improvement in their performance.
- The process is fully controlled.
- With management in the hands of a single person,the tasks of the process are simplified. There is no place for diversity of concepts.
What is laissez faire leadership?
Laissez-faire leadership, also known as delegative leadership , is a type of leadership style in which leaders allow group members to make decisions.
However, despite overcoming the main limitations of autocratic leadership , this approach often leads to levels of productivity below other approaches.
