autocratic - pros & cons
DESCRIPTION
Pros & cons of autocratic leadershipTRANSCRIPT
Even if it is frowned upon, Autocratic Leadership is still one of the most efficient
types of leaderships when trying to get something done. So why are people still
using this type of leadership?
This type of leadership creates a centralized chain of commands based on the
leader and most commonly the leader makes decisions based on their own ideas;
this helps in many ways, such as getting this done quickly, since all the
responsibilities lies upon the leader he takes all the decisions without needing to
consult others thus delivering rapid results. These type of decisions require
precision in order to make the best choice for the company and its employees
Another situation is during a crisis were nobody else knows what to do, an
autocratic leader has complete control over his team, there is no room for
creativity, the leaders decision is taken as the golden rule and its never questioned.
The leader will assign tasks to different members and establish solid deadlines, so
in a sense the employee’s main task is to follow orders without questioning them.
Some projects require strong leadership in order to get things accomplished. This
is where an autocratic leader comes in; he can successfully take charge of a
group, keep the project on track and continuously deliver results. An autocratic
leader is aware of the situation and can closely monitor the project and his
employees.
Of course, this is not a perfect leadership and although it can be effective during
many situations it also has some major flaws.
This type of leadership only delivers a short-term solution; they are very fixed on
what needs to be done, but it does not take into account the future. It only focuses
on the delivering results and that is it. They generally do not care about their client,
they just want to fulfill the deadline.
Autocrats see people as resources, so building teams is a big no, there is no room
for growth, and unfortunately the motivation environment is produced by creating a
set of rewards and punishments. It can even create an environment of fear and
resentment.
Also autocrats don’t communicate well, they don’t see the need to keep other
people informed. As long as they know what is happening, they don’t consider
relevant the implication of others. They tend to not be very approachable and their
team members don’t respect them; they just fear them.
Finally this type of leadership will keep employees in a closed box doing only what
they are asked for, and it can cost the company many creative ideas that might
make it more competitive.
As we can see, an Autocratic leadership has its ups and downs but it can be really
effective on occasions where detailed orders are needed, such as military or during
a surgery and even for new employees that are inexperienced in their job.
REFERENCES
1. A Critique of the Autocratic Leadership Style - Characteristics. (n.d.).
Retrieved August 1, 2014, from http://www.brighthubpm.com/resource-
management/75715-a-critique-of-the-autocratic-leadership-style/
2. Advantages of an Autocratic Leadership Style. (n.d.). Retrieved August 1,
2014, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-autocratic-
leadership-style-2980.html