What Is Autocratic Leadership Style ?
Autocratic or authoritarian leadership is a management style where a single supervisor or manager exercises full authority and power in the organization. Supervisors or leaders have absolute power (directing, supervision, controlling, decision making etc.) to control the entire organizational activities and subordinates.
Benefits Or Advantages Of Autocratic Leadership Style
The main advantages of autocratic leadership can be pointed out as follows:
1. Allows Quick Decision Making
Because of centralized authority, leader is a sole decision maker in this type of leadership style. He/she may make any decision without consulting others. So, it allows prompt decision making at the time of emergency and crisis. Quick decision helps the organization to cope with the frequent changes in the business behavior.
2. High Level Of Secrecy
Another notable advantage of autocratic leadership is secrecy and privacy. Managers do not share internal matters of organization with subordinates which eliminates the chance of leakage of important information.
3. Simple And Easy Style
This style is simple and can be easily understood by the employees because of proper separation of roles and duties of superiors and subordinates. They are clear about their jobs and responsibility because command flows directly from the boss to the lower level employees.
4. Better Discipline
Leaders establish strict supervision, monitoring and controlling in the workplace which helps to maintain better discipline in the organization.
5. Increased Productivity
Autocratic leaders provides suggestions and guidance to the employees directly which helps to improve efficiency and performance. Increased performance leads to increase in the productivity of the firm.
Autocratic leadership style is suitable for small organizations with less number of employees and fewer organizational activities. It is also useful when employees are less competent and need strong guidance and supervision.
7. Clear Chain Of Command
Because of clear goals, properly defined roles and responsibility of the leader and subordinates, direct communication, there is a better chain of command in this style than other types of leadership style.
8. Useful For New And Incompetent Employees
In autocratic leadership, subordinates have to work as per the guidance and direction of the leader. So, it is useful for newly appointed, incompetent and inexperience employees to improve their skills and performance.
Drawbacks Or Disadvantages Of Autocratic Leadership Style
The main disadvantages of autocratic leadership can be pointed out as follows:
1. Workload To The Superiors
One of the main drawbacks of autocratic leadership style is that power and authority is exercised by a single leader. He/she has the responsibility to handle entire organizational tasks and employees. This increases the workload and pressure to the leader that may decrease his efficiency, performance and quality of decisions.
Also Read:
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Democratic Leadership
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Laissez Faire Leadership
Difference Between Autocratic And Democratic Leadership
2. Negative Motivation
Autocratic leadership uses negative motivational techniques such as threat, punishment, demotion etc. to control the subordinates. It may decrease the morale of the employees.
3. Not Suitable For
It is not suitable for large and complex organizations with various functions and more employees because it lacks decentralization , specialization and division of labor in the workstation.
4. Lack Of Flexibility
Organization is totally dependent on one superior. Opinions, ideas and suggestions of other members are ignored by the leader. So, autocratic leadership style lacks flexibility.
5. High Employee Turnover
As we know that there is negative motivation and strict control in this leadership, employees may feel stressed and frustrated because of this uncomfortable working environment. So, they may leave that job at any time. Therefore, the rate of employee turnover is high in autocratic leadership.
6. Micromanagement and Dictatorship
Because of centralized authority, there is a possibility of micromanagement and dictatorship in the workplace.
7. No Utilization Of Creativity
Organization is totally dependent on the vision and working style of one superior and ignores the potential and creativity of the employees. So, it discourages proper utilization of human resources in the organization.
Pros And Cons Of Autocratic Leadership In Short
Pros:
- It facilitates quick decision at the time of crisis
- It is simple and easy to understand because of clear chain of command
- It ensures proper secrecy and privacy in the organization
- It helps to increase the performance of the employees which increases the productivity and profitability.
- It increases the motivation of the leader
- It is very suitable for small organizations with few subordinates and limited functions
Cons:
- It is not suitable for big and complex organizational structures
- It is less flexible than other types of leadership style
- Skills, talents and creativity of employees are not properly utilized
- It increases employee turnover because of frustration and stress
- It increases the burden of superiors because of centralized authority
