Authoritarian leadership is a leadership style in which the leader dictates and controls all decisions in the group and task. Often referred to as Autocratic leadership, authoritarian leadership is about control, organisation and discipline and while it still has a place in the leader’s toolbox, it was regarded as the most prominent style almost one hundred years ago.
Nowadays, it is is seen as a style that can help in certain situations, but only as part of a large suite of tools at the disposal of the Flexible leader After all, you cannot force people to change and often, the leader’s role is to challenge the status quo; lead effective change in working practices and team behaviours and therefore lead people along the journey to the completion of successful goals.
Typical Characteristics of an Autocratic Leader
Autocratic leaders typically make choices based on their own ideas and judgements and rarely accept advice from followers. Autocratic leadership involves absolute, authoritarian control over a group or task, whereby:
- The leader tells and enforces
- Little feedback is sought or needed from team members
- Decisions on processes, tasks, goals are all created by the leader
- There is a sense that team members are rarely trusted with tasks and methods
- The leadership style points at a method of just getting the job done
- No real sense of empowerment normally morale can suffer in the long term
The benefits of Authoritarian Leadership
For the long term, adopting nothing but an autocratic leadership style can be more damaging than rewarding, as it is seen as a cold, dictatorial, ‘I’m right’ management style, which can undermine people and stifle creativity. The art of leadership is to be flexible, whereby the leader selects and uses the correct style to suit the situation.
That said, there are benefits to using this authoritarian leadership. Most appropriately, if tasks have to be completed with great urgency and are time critical, setting clear tasks and expectations whilst making the decisions seems a logical step, as often there is no time for discussion. In such conditions, one needs structure, discipline and to get the job done.
Also too, as in the situational Leadership model, adopting a more autocratic style is applicable for not only actions that need to be completed quickly, but also if a team member’s skill for the task is very low or novice. In which case, giving clear direction and making the right decisions allows the person to focus on learning or applying their skills.
The Negatives of Authoritarian Leadership
People that normally opt for this style regularly, can be seen as bossy, cold, and a dictator. Let’s just say, if it’s the only style you use, the chances are you won’t be voted as the next best leader sometime soon!
Long term use of its use can also build to resentment and a feeling of festering, whereby those team members are never given a chance to grow, proceeding to the feeling of being undervalued and distrusted.
Research has indicated that due to the nature of an authoritarian leader, and that he/she makes decisions and controls the group, creative problem solving is often thwarted as a result.
Summary – When to Use This Style
Authoritarian leadership has its place in management styles, however, the days of this one style working are long gone. Since the introduction of situational leadership and transformational leadership theories, it is widely regarded that this style is only one of many in your tool box of styles. Each leadership method has its strengths and weaknesses and must be used when the situation calls upon it.
When to use authoritarian leadership? For the long term, an autocratic style can be more damaging than good, but sometimes you have to get things done. Use more of a directing, authoritarian style in the following scenarios:
- When a task is urgent and needs to be completed quickly, with little time for thought and planning
- As in the Situational Leadership Model , use this style when skills are in short supply and people need to be guided through a task or tasks with clarity and structure.
- where there is little margin for error.
- When conditions are dangerous – rigid rules can keep people out of harm’s way.
One thing to remember though; if your team are not skilled in specific tasks, don’t resort to an authoritarian approach in the long term. Find ways to teach, coach and mentor them, so you can do more delegating and less directing.