The autocratic method of teaching has several strengths. Authoritarian leaders, also known as autocratic leaders, provide clear expectations for what needs to be done when it should be done, and how it should be done. Authoritarian, or autocratic, leadership tends to be viewed rather negatively, even though it is among the most common leadership styles in the business. Smaller businesses dont usually use this type of leadership because they rely on the experiences of everyone to be successful. Under this type of leadership style there is no delay as decision rests with single authority and in times of crunch situation where a. Autocratic leadership is a rigid form of leadership in terms of rules and procedures. One is that it makes clear the information that the. Ask participants to compare and finalize their own definition of leadership style based on the definitions provided. Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style characterized by individual control over all decisions and little input from group members. Leaders in institutions of higher education have been observed to be exhibiting autocratic leadership style. Autocratic leadership also known as authoritarian leadershi p relies primarily on the use of authority in groups and in organizations goethals, 2004. Leadership is a process by which a person influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. Since leadership plays a vital role in democratic movements and democratic governance, it is essential that researchers address this issue.
Autocratic leadership is by no means a new concept. The impact of autocratic, democratic and laissezfair leadership. Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, involves high control and little group. Leadership is defined as the process of directing and influencing the taskrelated activities of group members. Thus, a leader enjoys the full authority and imposes his will on others. In an autocratic leadership style, the person in charge has total authority and control over decision making. Such a simple question, and yet it continues to vex popular consultants and lay people alike. Eze 2011 defined leadership styles as the total pattern of a. Autocratic leadership style, job performance, academic librarians, benue state. Leadership is exercised when persons mobilize institutional, political. This compliance is almost automatic, we really dont think much about it, we just do it. They have gone from a very classical autocratic approach to a very creative, participative approach. The lessons of exemplary models for democratic governance sanghan choi florida atlantic university since leadership plays a vital role in democratic movements, understanding the nature of democratic leadership is essential. It provides for quick decisionmaking because here only one person i.
Key characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of autocratic leadership. Autocratic leadership definition autocratic derives from the words auto greek for self and cratic, which implies rule. Mostly subordinates like to work under centralized authority and strict supervision 3. However, one of the foremost thinkers of leadership and leadership development, john adair. Difference between autocratic and democratic leadership. In the past several decades, management experts have undergone a revolution in how they define leadership and what their attitudes are toward it. Sure, autocratic leadership may not have a place in the way countries or states are run anymore, but it still is widely used in the corporate and business world. This style of leadership is strongly focused on both command by the leader and control of the followers.
In this type of leadership, the rules and procedures that teams use are quite rigid. Autocratic leadership is very similar to the authoritarian leadership style. To be effective, the leader must be able to have proven competencies in their field, as they are responsible for making most of the decisions in the workplace. Autocratic teaching leads to a more orderly and less chaotic learning environment. Department of industrial engineering and management, jss academy of technical education, bangalore, india nswamy. Well examine the core characteristic of the leadership style and provide you with the traits of an autocratic leader. When faced with the need to provide a decision, an autocratic leader is one who. Autocratic leadership style unl digital commons university of. Leadership is the influence increment over and above mechanical compliance with the routine directives of the organization.
This paper aims at detecting and defining relations between participative management being a consequence of prioritizing the democratic. Autocratic leadership examples can be found in all positions of power, such as community leaders, workplace managers, religious leaders and even in the home. Autocratic style leadership meaning, advantage, disadvantage. Successful instructional leadership styles in education. People are exposed to a broad and ever growing variety of theories that explains the concept and the practice of leadership, albeit, todays leadership experts still cant dare ignore theorists like, maslow, smith, barnard, deming, mayo, fayol. Autocratic leaders typically make choices based on their ideas and judgments and rarely accept advice from followers. Well also study the strengths and weaknesses of this style of leadership. The first and foremost advantage of this type of leadership style is that it helps the company in making a quick decision as the decision is centralized with the leader. Introduction the approach the librarian managers adopt in directing, guiding and controlling the staff under them determine the pace of progress in their libraries.
A definition and illustration of democratic leadership. It has been in use only for about two hundred years, although the term leader, from which it was derived, appeared as early as a. Winston kathleen patterson regent university this study addresses the problem of varied definitions of leadership and focuses on the possibility that as part of the social science tradition, the results of other leadership definitions focused only on isolated variables. Autocratic leadership style autocratic leadership is an extreme form of transactional leadership, where leaders have complete power over staff. The leader solely decides with the available information. They cannot criticize or question the leaders way of getting things done. There is also a clear division between the leader and the members. Autocratic leaders rely on specific rules, policies, and procedures to govern all processes within the workplace. Autocratic leadership is an exchange process, so it is a matter of contingent reinforcement of staff based on performances. Some historical leaders who adopted autocracy, like adolf hitler and joseph stalin, turned out to be dictators and oppressors. Autocratic leaders often view themselves like automobile engines that drive people under their tutelage or command, whether its a mayor of a large city, a company ceo or an agency director. Existing definitions of dcmwrstic lcadcrship are inconsistent and inadequate, so this essay provides s clear delinilion that applies lo social groups both large and small.
What you do in one situation will not always work in another. By virtue of their position and job responsibilities, they not only control the efforts of the team, but monitor them for completion often under close scrutiny this style is reminiscent of the earliest tribes and empires. You must use your judgment to decide the best course of action and the leadership style needed for. Well study the contexts in which it was born and look at how it is shaping the modern world. Ask students to create a list of examples for each approach of leadership styles handout 5. 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. It motivates staff by appealing to their personal desires and on instrumental economic transactions. In this guide, well examine autocratic leadership and what it has meant in the past. That means there is a priority on consistency, with each team member performing their job functions in a similar way. Advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership. Autocratic leaders make choices or decisions based on their own beliefs and do not involve others for their suggestion or advice. Negative reinforcement and punishment are often used to enforce rules. Larger businesses, however, will use an autocratic leadership. It has been in existence in one form or the other since time immemorial.
In a study conducted by okoroji, anyanwu, and ukpere 2014, a democratic leadership style was found to be the most effective style because student. Following are the leadership styles derived out of this model. The benefit of autocratic leadership is that it is incredibly. In the autocratic leadership style, the leader centralizes the decisionmaking power in himself and give directions to his subordinates as to what they are supposed to do and how they are required to perform the given task. Autocratic leadership is a management style wherein one person controls all the decisions and takes very little inputs from other group members.
How jungs theory of personality can explain how you learn. A definition and illustration of democratic leadership john gastill2 renewed calls for demaracy make it imperative that we understand the nature of democratic lcadcrship. However, the definition of democratic leadership is unclear gastil, 1994. Autocratic leadership is a set of traits and strategies employed in a leadership position and although it can correlate with specific personality traits, it is not always a characteristic that carries over into other areas of an individuals life. In areas where creative thinking is a key, people are empowered to make decisions, and leadership is decentralized, the autocratic direction will likely be unpopular. Librarian managers should ensure effective leadership. You might say it is a request that induces compliance or obedience. Because knowledge is seen as power, critical information may be withheld from the team. Rhode 1989 defined job performance as an act of performing a job either well or badly.
Introduction the term leadership is a relatively recent addition to the english language. Autocratic leadership is a polarizing topic in places that favor democratic governmental structures. Second, autocratic leadership gives the leader an enormous amount of power in deciding how the team operates, but this also means. Leadership varies in definition due to its complexity and diverse contexts ranging from business to politics and organization. An autocratic leadership style is similar to an authoritarian leadership style.
The team cannot put forward their views even if they are best for the teams or organizational interests. The authoritarian or autocratic leadership style is demonstrated when a leader makes all decisions without considering input from staff. Ask students to write down their final definitions of leadership style. Autocratic leadership in business most corporations are wellsuited for the autocratic leadership style as well. Autocratic leadership, or otherwise called as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style adopted by the management, involving one man control over all managerial decisions of the organisation, without consulting with the subordinates. The autocratic style of leadership is wellsuited for most businesses, provided they are already wellestablished. As there is no consultation with subordinates, confidential matters can be kept secretly. This is stringic autocratic leadership style where the leader takes the opinion of group members to gather more information but may or may not share the final decision with the group members. Autocratic leaders often view themselves like automobile engines that drive people under their tutelage or command, whether its a. An autocratic leader is one who does not delegate tasks but rather maintains total control of. Staff and team members have little opportunity to make suggestions, even if these are in the best interest of the team or organization. In this style of leadership, a leader has complete command and hold over their employeesteam.
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