What Is Autocratic Leadership?

Is your workplace an autocratic one, or does it use an authoritarian leadership style? Are autocratic situations good or bad?

That all depends on the situation, the people involved, and the goals. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes, and in some instances, an autocratic leadership style can absolutely be the best way to get things done. In different situations, it’s the worst way to handle things, and it doesn’t work.

Key Takeaways:

• The benefits of autocratic leadership include quick decision-making and direct communication.

• The drawbacks of autocratic leadership include lack of creativity, innovation, or accountability.

• Successful autocratic leadership requires clear channels of communication and command, as well as consistency and defined expectations.

• Autocratic leadership can be used in temporary situations where quick decisions are required, such as in an emergency.

What Is Autocratic Leadership?

Autocratic leaderships, also known as authoritarian leaderships, feature one person who makes all of the decisions.

That is their one overriding characteristic, but they are also defined by not accepting input from team members, a lack of creativity in their approach, and a lot of direct supervision.

In these situations, the leader dictates what is done and how it’s done. This can happen in countries, businesses, or even families and friendships.

Characteristics of an Autocratic Leadership

The characteristics of autocratic leadership include:

• Definitive instructions on what needs to be done

• A desired, predictable outcome

• Workers with little autonomy

• Rigid structure with defined expectations

• Top-down system of communication and management

There might be a few benefits and downfalls that you immediately see when you picture this type of leadership, especially in business. Some work environments thrive on this type of structure and guidance, while others are hampered by this style of management.

Benefits of Autocratic Leadership

When done correctly, that is to say, when the leader of an autocratic organization is competent, and the system is set up to provide clear communication with predictable results, autocratic leaderships have several benefits, including:

• Established chain of command

• Job duties are defined and often inflexible

• Employees develop confidence in their abilities

• Quick decisions can be made and implemented

• Response to market demand happens quickly

• Questions are typically easy to answer, and answers are easy to find

• Problems are easy to find and remedy

• The end goal is known and understood by all

• There is rarely extraneous effort or unnecessary steps involved

• Less stress for individuals

Take a factory, for example; if the person in charge is an expert in their field and very good at managing all aspects of the job, you can see how being an autocratic leader can be a huge benefit.

This person sets up the most efficient way to get their product made, sold, and out the door. Then they fill the positions they created with skilled people, and everyone gets to work. It’s slick and effective.

There are many people who enjoy working with this management style because it encourages teamwork and specialization. They come in each day and do the one thing they’re good at, and those around them have a similar focus.

The entire team works together to accomplish their professional goals. With great leaders, this can be a good way to work. But that’s not always the case.

Downsides of Autocratic Leadership

While some of the benefits of an autocratic leadership style are easy to see, that’s also true of some of the downsides of this style of leadership. Right away, it’s clear that a bad leader can derail an entire operation. What other downsides are there?

• Heavily relies on the competency of the leader

• At risk of failing due to poor leadership or communication

• Subordinates may feel undervalued

• Input from the team might be useful or beneficial, but it’s never heard

• Solutions only come from one person

• Morale can suffer

• Resentment builds toward management

• Creativity is stifled

• Workers get bored and are uninspired

• Routine can lead to oversights and lack of effort

It’s important to note that all of the benefits of an autocratic leadership style can evaporate if the person in charge is not good at their job and doesn’t know what they’re doing.

Throughout history, entire countries have fallen because the person in charge had no idea what they were doing, didn’t understand the people, or simply wasn’t intelligent enough for the task. This is the same in business.

If you take a creative industry, like marketing, you can see how having an autocratic leadership could quickly crumble. While there are still tasks to do and end goals, the way they get there all depends on creativity, individual thinking, and brilliant people who are inspired and motivated.

Tips For An Effective Autocratic Business

Being successful in an authoritarian work model can be difficult, for sure, but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. There are some things that leaders can do to make it work and to make it thrive.

• Communication. Having good communication skills is critical for the leader and their management team. It’s not just important to clearly explain the duties and goals of each position and the team as a whole, but listening is important too.

  In fact, listening might be the most crucial soft skill that anyone in an autocratic business can have. This gives them access to information that can only be learned in the trenches or on the work floor, which can lead to great ideas and even direction changes.

  It also helps individuals feel heard and valued, which greatly helps morale, and it improves the leader’s standing in the eyes of employees.

• Defined expectations. Saying we want to sell stuff is clearly not a defined expectation. The team needs to know what is being sold, what needs to happen to prompt sales, how many things are being sold, etc.

  Throughout the entire system, the key to making it work is having each aspect clearly defined and explained so everyone understands the big picture and their role. This cannot be stressed enough because one break in that chain makes it inefficient.

• Supply tools, etc. Whatever your team needs to do the job and do it well needs to be provided. While it might be tempting to cut corners and “make do” with old equipment, there is more at stake than you might realize.

  Not only does old equipment often slow down production, but it can also be hazardous, produce inferior products, and it can make the employees frustrated and resentful. Keeping your employee supplied with what they need is more efficient and leads to success.

• Consistency. One of the things that makes an autocratic workplace successful is people know what to expect all the time. If you set rules, then those rules apply to everyone. If there’s a standard procedure, then it needs to be followed. This keeps everyone on the same page.

  But there’s something to note here, one of the benefits of authoritarian environments is that they can quickly change directions without a lot of red tape. If this is going to happen, then being clear about what’s happening and what people can expect is critical.

  It all goes back to defining expectations – even if they are new ones.

• Be someone to look up to. No one wants a leader that they don’t respect. Keeping the image of the autocratic lead in good shape is critical to having a team that trusts them, relies upon them, and follows them.

• Rewards and praise. Sharing success and supporting the team goes a long way toward building a great relationship and a good system. When management takes all of the accolades and financial rewards without giving any to the people doing the actual work, things don’t go well.

  This doesn’t necessarily mean everyone deserves bonuses all the time; even just mentioning more good things than bad can be a step in the right direction.

Temporary Autocratic Solutions

An interesting thing about autocratic systems is that they don’t need to be permanent.

• Temporary leadership. Suppose a company is designed on an autocratic model or there are problems, and an expert needs to come in and set up an authoritarian work environment. In that case, the general process and the established protocol may still remain for some period of time even after the expert is gone.

  Some companies like to hire experts to come in and reorganize their structure and management in this way. While that person is in “power,” they set up managers and a hierarchy that will make decisions in the future.

  Of course, once the autocratic leader is gone, it ceases to run in that manner, but the general process and the established protocol may still remain.

• Emergency situations. During emergencies, this type of management style is also extremely effective. It gets right to the heart of the matter, the leader directs people where to go and what to do, and people can focus on being as effective as they can in their role.

  This model allows the leader to see the big picture and make those instantaneous changes and quick actions to efficiently manage the emergency.

FAQs

1. Is autocratic leadership good or bad?

Autocratic leadership can be good or bad depending on circumstances. Autocratic leadership can be good when the leader is competent, and the situation, environment, and system are appropriate. This usually requires an organization that values or needs quick decision-making and directed action.

Autocratic leadership can be bad, and go very wrong, if the leader is unfair or incompetent, and the environment requires more autonomy from its workers. This is especially true in dynamic fields where innovation, collaboration, and adaptability are highly valued.

2. What is the best leadership style?

The best leadership style depends on the situation, but in general, democratic leadership is the best. Consensus building, with systems of accountability, allows a leader to maximize the potential of everyone involved in the system instead of forcing them to act on directed measures.

3. Do I need to be an autocratic leader?

You should only be an autocratic leader if the environment is appropriate and you are competent. Autocratic leadership is a very top heavy approach that requires an environment with systems of clear communication and expectations. You as a leader need to be capable of making decisions at every level and have a clear vision in which to take the organization.

References

1. National Library of Medicine – Authoritarian Leadership in Organizational Change and Employees’ Active Reactions: Have-to and Willing-to Perspectives

Author

Kristin Kizer

Kristin Kizer is an award-winning writer, television and documentary producer, and content specialist who has worked on a wide variety of written, broadcast, and electronic publications. A former writer/producer for The Discovery Channel, she is now a freelance writer and delighted to be sharing her talents and time with the wonderful Zippia audience.