So, What is the Best Leadership Style to Use
Leadership styles are such important skills for all leaders to develop and use every single day. Many people have views about which styles to use and which to completely avoid. Should we be autocratic? Perhaps democratic? What about visionary, laisses-faire, or transformational? We need to understand many different aspects of the styles before using them.
Every leadership style has its own set of pros and cons that make it useable in every workplace. A key point to consider, early on, is the situation. We apply Leadership styles based on the situation at hand. Also, we mix and match the styles as required. No one style applies to every situation.
Therefore, we need to know what the styles include in terms of qualities and traits, appropriate usage, and possible barriers. We will cover all of this and more when looking at the autocratic style. We will explain the overall meaning and the main characteristics. Also, we will explain the advantages and disadvantages of the autocratic style as well as how to overcome barriers to its use.
What is Autocratic?
The definition of autocratic in the Cambridge Dictionary is:
“Demanding that people obey completely, without asking or caring about anyone else’s opinion.”
We see the autocratic style of leadership as being one that has a single leader who makes all of the decisions.
Let’s look at autocratic in terms of behaviours. These include:
- They can seem arrogant in their approach.
- Other people’s feelings are not considered.
- They are straightforward in their approach.
- Underperformance is not tolerated.
- Goals and targets are key focus areas for them, rather than team members or relationships.
In terms of communication, autocratic leaders practice the following:
- We see one-way communication, meaning no input from others.
- They command rather than have debate or discussion when making decisions.
- Using direct, straightforward communication.
- They use big gestures and exaggerated, stressed wording.
The 6 Cs of Autocratic Leadership Characteristics
Here, we look at the 6 Cs when we consider the characteristics of autocratic leadership. These 6 main traits explain some of the key components. They are needed when we apply this style.
#1: Control
You are in charge. Everything is decided by you. Autocratic leaders take their advice, rather than advice from others. They know the goals that need to be achieved. Also, they understand how to get there. Therefore, they are in charge of making decisions every step of the way.
In terms of control, autocratic leaders:
- Ensure that control measures are in place.
- Plan and organise tasks effectively.
- Assign tasks to the right people for the best results.
- Set control measures to ensure consistency in tasks
So, it helps in terms of creating quality products and services. However, the level of control can be overwhelming for members of the team.
#2: Command
There is no discussion or debate about this style. You:
- Issue the commands about what to do and how.
- Don’t ask for input from others.
- Use assertive or aggressive tones.
Often, we consider these types of leaders as rude or arrogant. Especially when they use an aggressive rather than assertive approach. The autocratic approach is necessary in certain situations, as we see later in this article. However, we cannot overuse the style without coming across as overbearing.
#3: Clarity
For this approach to work, you must be clear and concise in your commands. This is where autocratic leaders are effective in terms of communication. Because of their need for control, their instructions have clarity and exact steps to follow. Also, they do not encourage 2-way communication. Once used correctly, this level of clarity saves time and increases productivity.
Therefore, they ensure their commands are understood the first time through the clarity of their ideas. However, this only works when the people receiving the commands have the right level of knowledge and skills to take action.
#4: Competency
Autocratic leaders know what they are talking about. Through experience, they make decisions and get things done. Usually, they have worked up through the ranks, gaining the required know-how along the way. This leads to them often being the most experienced person in the group to make the decisions in the first place.
#5: Confidence
Autocratic leaders have a lot of self-confidence. Because of their commanding behaviour, they appear confident and self-assured to their team. This is very reassuring to team members, especially in difficult situations.
However, autocratic leaders risk coming across as arrogant to others. That’s because there is a thin line between confidence and arrogance. Caution is necessary to ensure that your self-confidence has a positive impression on those around you.
#6: Credibility
When we combine some of the above competencies, we see how autocratic leaders create credibility using this style. They build trust and reliability, especially when results are achieved using this approach. They convince others of the success of their style when things work out as expected. This includes overcoming barriers and keeping on track.
The Benefits and Barriers of the Autocratic Approach
We have already stated that every leadership style has its benefits and barriers. Here we will look at some of those specific to autocratic leadership.
Benefits of Autocratic Leadership
#1- Decision Making is Faster
We have one person in control of making the decisions. As a result, decisions are faster.
We see that they:
- Save time on discussions and negotiations.
- Improve time management with less time on team debates.
- Revert to their knowledge and expertise to decide the next steps.
Therefore, speed things up when it’s crunch time and a verdict needs to be reached by using this approach. Not every decision needs other opinions.
#2- Improved Productivity
Autocratic leaders have a clear goal to achieve. They will do anything to achieve it. Also, they can move information through the ranks quickly. With that in mind, do the following:
- Ensure your instructions are clear and concise.
- Communicate effectively, with no room for misunderstanding.
- Avoid confusion with step-by-step guidelines.
By taking these steps, more time is available to invest in the actual task at hand. Everyone knows their place and role. They get on with their part. And, they have more consistent output and fewer mistakes that lead to delays.
#3- Respect for Time Frames
Autocratic leaders ensure time frames are maintained. When barriers arise, be quick to address them. Set regular checkpoints to review your progress. This way, you reduce the possibility of missing your deadline. As the autocratic leader, take the below-mentioned steps:
- Set realistic time frames.
- Know the abilities of those in your team.
- Assign the right tasks to the right people.
- Ask for regular updates without micromanaging.
#4- Maintain Quality Standards
Autocratic leaders create very clear standards and expectations. This leads to better consistency in terms of quality. Think of a production line. There are very clear guidelines from leaders about what is acceptable and what is not. This comes from having one person in control. It does not allow for individual decisions on what they “feel” is the right output. Therefore, quality standards are maintained.
Barriers to This Style
#1. Collaboration is Lacking
The autocratic approach means that one person is at the helm. They do not take the opinions or ideas of others on board. Therefore, one important team characteristic is missing. This is collaboration. There is no opportunity to have your say and share your ideas. These may even be ideas about doing something better but they are not considered. This can be very restrictive for many team members and stifles creativity.
#2. Empowerment is Missing
We all like to use our own knowledge and experience to make decisions and get things done. This is a great way for individuals to grow and develop. It also allows for the growth of authority and confidence. Unfortunately, this does not occur with autocratic leaders.
As they are in charge of every element, their team members do not have this chance at empowerment. Decisions are made for them and they are simply instructed on what to do and how to do it. This can cause frustration, especially when members of the team have high levels of knowledge and skills to complete the task. This is because they want a level of freedom to decide what they want to do and how.
#3. Motivation is Affected
For any team to be effective, motivation is important. However, autocratic leaders can stifle this with some members. Think of doing the following for better results:
- Encourage collaboration and empowerment.
- Avoid talking down to members of the team.
- Recognise contribution and effort.
Remember, we need to be able to have a motivated team to achieve results. Otherwise, we will see standards dropping and more mistakes happening.
#4. Micromanagement Occurs
Autocratic leaders need to be in control. As a result, they want to know what is happening at every step of the process. We end up micromanaging team members within the group. This constant need for control is very restrictive in terms of allowing others to go at their own speed or do things in their own style.
Autocratic leaders want constant updates and question any variation in the agreed strategy. Also, they jump in and take over when the task is not executed as instructed.
When to Apply This Style
Some believe that the autocratic approach is outdated in today’s workplace. I would disagree. There are still some very valid reasons to apply an autocratic approach when leading others. Here are some examples.
1. In Emergency Cases
Any business or company can face an emergency. This emergency could be a health and safety issue, such as a fire or accident in the workplace. It might also be a power outage. Another emergency could be a change in customer requirements for a product or service at the last minute. In emergency cases, we must make quick decisions.
Let’s take the fire emergency as an example. You are busy working away at your station or desk and suddenly the fire alarm sounds. You have been through the required fire training the company does once a year but this doesn’t seem to be a test or drill. There seems to be confusion among your colleagues about what to do next. At this time of physical risk, you want to know that someone is in control and being decisive.
You want someone making quick and appropriate decisions on your behalf. In this case, an autocratic approach will save time and possibly lives.
2. Time Sensitive Tasks
We all have deadlines to achieve. Also, we all have time frames to respect. We are, however, all guilty at some time or another of procrastination. This is true for some more than others of course. But it can happen. We become distracted during our tasks. Or we have other tasks assigned at the same time. Whatever the reason, we need someone to keep us on track to meet these deadlines. Companies can run the risk of losing important clients or contracts if they miss deadlines.
Therefore, we can apply an autocratic approach when we are coming close to the deadline. This will drive the team towards the finish line. We will probably have used different styles earlier in the task. But now we are down to the wire. Therefore, the commanding influence of the autocratic leader can assist in getting people to understand the urgency of completing the job on time.
3. With Inexperienced Teams
You are leading a team of new recruits who have little or no experience of the task. They can’t make decisions and get the task done on their own. In this case, an autocratic approach can work, for a while. Autocracy is about control and instruction. This will help new recruits with understanding the expected standard, the steps of the task, and the direction to take.
With new recruits, we need to be strict in terms of guiding them in the right way from the start. If we start with vague directions or unclear instructions, it will take much longer to get the new recruits to the basic levels needed for them to perform. However, once they start to pick up different aspects of the task, you will adjust your style accordingly. This can be at different times with different people. This is because we all learn at different speeds.
4. When Agreement Cannot Be Reached
You have 2 or more team members who simply cannot reach an agreement. This is causing delays for the team. It is also causing tension and a breakdown in collaboration. Despite the relevant parties trying to reach an understanding, they are at a stalemate and this is negatively impacting the team.
The leader has previously tried a collaborative approach. They have also tried adopting a democratic style. None of this has worked. Now, we use the autocratic style. However, we will only use it when other styles have failed.
In such situations, leaders need to be ready to step in and make the decisions to resolve the conflict or settle the situation. This might be in terms of setting an ultimatum. Or, we set out exactly what will be done and how. This might happen within the team. It might even be to resolve a customer complaint.
When to Avoid the Autocratic Style
There are, of course, situations where the autocratic style should be avoided. Let’s have a look at some.
1. For Creative Input
When you are developing an idea or concept and need the creative input of your team, avoid being autocratic. This style is very one-way in terms of communication and contribution. Therefore, your team will not be ready to share and participate. You need to encourage idea-sharing and constructive debate about suggestions. This is necessary for the creative juices to flow.
2. During Team Training and Development
You are not a lecturer reading a set script. You are a leader of a team that has different members with different development needs. As a result, we need to avoid being autocratic in our approach in terms of team and individual development.
Instead, we will include the team members in discussions about development needs, as well as the direction they want to take. Training sessions need to be very open and participative. They need to create an environment where learning can happen. This will not be the case with an autocratic leadership style.
3. When Relationship Building is Required
Remember, autocratic leaders think first of the task or goal, not the person. Leaders need to be able to develop relationships within their teams. Therefore, we need to avoid the autocratic approach in cases where people come first.
This can include interviews, performance appraisals, and other situations where two-way communication is important. It may also be when a team member has personal needs that need addressing, such as an illness in the family. In these cases, we need to be able to show empathy, which is not a characteristic of an autocratic leader.
In Summary
So, we have tried to show you what it means to be autocratic. We have also made every effort to show the balance between the advantages and disadvantages of this style.
We argue that this style is still relevant in today’s workplace. But it is only to be applied in certain situations, like every other style. So, to get it right, analyse the situation before choosing the style that suits you best.
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Updated: November 2023 by Ailish O’Rourke-Henriette
