Pros And Cons Of Autocratic Leadership

Authoritarian/autocratic leadership The authoritarian/autocratic group leader typically is an expert who directs the movement of the group and makes all the strategic decisions within the group or organization (Val & Kemp, 2012; Gill, 2014; Gladding, 2016). Per Gladding (2016), authoritarian group leaders can be charismatic and manipulative and typically believe they understand group dynamics, make interpretations, give advice, demand obedience, and expect conformity. Furthermore, these leaders typically do not seek the input and advice of others and often demonstrate a lack of trust in the ability of others to make decisions and suggestions (Gill, 2014). According to Val and Kemp (2012), authoritarian leaders often use their observations and beliefs regarding what is most important or most needed to benefit the group when solving problems and making decisions. Such leaders often structure their groups using the wheel model, in which all information is filtered and distributed through them, and at their extreme, may insist on making minor decisions: Consequently, being viewed as micromanagers, and may be overbearing and demoralizing (Gill, 2014; Gladding, 2016). Lastly, because …show more content…
He asserts democratic leadership can increase employee job satisfaction, lower absenteeism, increase productivity, increase productivity and innovation, and create mutual trust between the leadership and group members. However, he cautions that democratic leaders can become too dependent upon the expertise and experience of others and can become burdened by overseeing experts on collaborative teams. Additionally, collaboration can be time consuming when members cannot come to an agreement and may result in missing deadlines (Gill, 2016). Examples of groups that work well with democratic leadership include: juries, hospitals and labs, high tech firms, and the pharmaceutical industry (Gill, 2016; Gladding,