What is an autocratic leadership style

Behaviourally anchored rating scale or BARS has now become a commonly used methodology by companies to compare the performance of its employees against specific or predefined set of behaviour traits which are linked to specific numeric value or rating from a scale of Within 24 hours of the servicing you will get a call from an independent office seeking your feedback. They ask you varied types of questions such as were you comfortable with the time slot give to you, seating area of customers, was your supervisor helpful, etc.

But what is autocratic leadership in the first place? This person can be the leader, manager, or business owner, who typically has complete control over a project, work area, or whole business and makes decisions with little to no input from group members.

Advantages of an Autocratic Leadership Style | initiativeblog.com

That is, autocratic leaders tend to make choices based on their judgment and ideas alone, implementing absolute authoritarian control over their group or organization. Typical Characteristics of Autocratic Leadership As mentioned, autocratic leadership involves absolute, authoritarian control where: Leaders tell everyone what to do, dictate all the work methods and processes, and enforce their own ideas and judgment.

Decisions concerning goals, tasks, projects, processes and so on are created by the leader alone; there is little or no input from others. Team members are rarely asked or trusted with decisions or important tasks, creating no real sense of empowerment.

When Is It Best Used? While an autocratic style of leadership is considered more traditional and, in some cases, outdated, there are situations where this form of leadership works best, such as: When quick decision is needed: Autocratic leadership is most effective in work environment or in instances where decisions need to be made quickly, or if tasks have to completed with great urgency.

This is because when the responsibility is on the leader alone, decisions can be instantly created as the leader is free to act without having to consult team members. When close oversight is needed: There are work activities and environment where workers tend to slack off when the management style is lenient.

When work process needs to be streamlined: Autocratic leadership works best in work situations that require strict coordination, such as the military and construction settings where most situations are particularly stressful. It allows members to focus on their specific tasks without having to worry about making complex decisions.

When poor performance needs to be corrected: With an experienced, knowledgeable and strong leader at the helm, a turn-around in performance can be achieved. The Downside of Autocratic Leadership May lead to high turnover rate.

While a number of studies have shown that autocratic leadership can increase productivity, this positive result usually lasts only in the short term as it is normal for employees to work harder when placed under tight control.

Also, employees are found to have greater resistance towards autocratic leadership style, resulting to apathy, absenteeism and decreased productivity.

A Critique of the Autocratic Leadership Style - Characteristics

In a work environment where communication is often one-way with little to no feedbackmisunderstanding and communications breakdown can happen.

Leadership may feel to keep up with new trends. While autocratic leadership is advantageous when it comes to making quick decisions as the decision-making process is the responsibility of one person this form of management may face challenges in this age of technological and sociological complexity, where leaders should be flexible and adaptable to change.

Hinders initiative and cooperation. Team members who are proactive and knowledgeable about their job may find it hard to operate in a work environment which provides them little room for self-innovation and initiative.

Also, when the job calls for teamwork and cooperative spirit, the autocratic form of leadership may become a hindrance. The future of the organization is dependent on the performance of leader. The heavily centralized command system of autocratic leadership entails that everything depends wholly on the leader.Autocratic Leadership Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style characterized by individual control over all decisions and little input from group members.

For example, Europeans like to point out that due to the nature of the European Union, the political and business climates foster facilitative leadership, while Americans use more of an autocratic style. While an autocratic style of leadership is considered more traditional and, in some cases, outdated, there are situations where this form of leadership works best, such as: 1.

6 Weaknesses of The Autocratic Leadership Style La Fête de la Fédération, le 14 juillet , au Champ-de-Mars Those who over rely on the autocratic leadership style tend to experience many different types of people problems. The autocratic leadership style is a strong leadership style with a clear vision and no room for outside voices.

There are advantages and disadvantages to the autocratic leadership style.

Here are. Democratic leadership, also known as participative leadership or shared leadership, is a type of leadership style in which members of the group take a more participative role in the decision-making initiativeblog.com type of leadership can apply to any organization, from .