Albert Einstein said that if you judge a fish by its ability to climb trees, it will live its whole life thinking it is useless. Something similar happens with the autocratic leader: this is a management model reviled for its authoritarian nature, but it also has advantages that make it the ideal style for certain situations.
Concept of autocratic leadership
Etymologically, autocracy comes from the Greek terms ‘auto’ (by oneself) and ‘kratos’ (power or government), so autocratic leadership can be defined as that which a management style in which the manager assumes responsibility and decision-making on an individual basis, imposing his or her ideas and conclusions on the rest of the team.
This course of action is associated with controlling, domineering, intransigent and overly demanding behaviour, It is not, therefore, generally speaking, one of the most important leadership styles with the best reputation. But the autocratic leader He is also self-confident, determined and highly prepared.
Therefore, we must not forget that this model, like the others, presents positive qualities and negative, so that the key to discerning its proper application lies not in the style itself but in the situation. of the team and the company.
Strengths and weaknesses of the autocratic leader
To find out when the autocratic leader is most effective, you need to understand what their advantages and disadvantages are.
Among the pros of this style of leadership, the following stand out:
- These are profiles highly skilled, They are highly skilled and experienced, demonstrating a complete mastery of the field in which they operate.
- The autocratic leader has an autocratic perspective on work. achievement of objectives in the short term, trying to achieve the goals set by the company.
- Its performance is highly efficient and, by setting the guidelines and directives for the teams and directly controlling the work of the employees, he ensures that projects are executed on time and on budget.
- This leadership model also has a good responsiveness The security and self-confidence that it possesses in the face of possible changes or crisis situations allows it to find agile and effective solutions to unforeseen events.
- Because of his total oversight, the autocratic leader simplifies work and processes.
- Because he or she feels that he or she holds the power, this type of manager also makes himself or herself responsible for the work of the whole team, The report is a success as well as a failure.
Among the weaknesses of the autocratic leader, are to be found:
- The autocratic leader lacks social skills, This makes it difficult to build personal relationships and to communicate assertively with the workers in their charge.
- It considers its own point of view as the only valid one, ignoring the proposals and perspectives of others, and avoiding participation and involvement of workers.
- Their levels of demand may prove to be stressors for the teams, This can lead to demotivation, mental blocks or absenteeism among the workforce.
- Just as he holds himself accountable for collective failures, he also sees himself as the absolute architect of the achievements, and is therefore unable to recognise the work of subordinates.
Ideal situations for the application of the model
As a result, there are some situations in which this style of leadership is most appropriate. When does the autocratic leader work best?
- In the case of under-prepared, inexperienced or demotivated teams, The autocratic leader will have the ability to set out the way forward in detail.
- When a new project or a new working group is set up., This model allows clear and concise guidelines to be established that all workers can follow, avoiding the confusion of that first stage.
In situations of business crises or high stress, Where there is no option for consensus decisions, this leader is able to take control and offer solutions to overcome the company's obstacles.
