Authoritarian Leadership!
The essence of authoritarian
leadership is “Do as I tell you,
because I’m telling you to do it!” This type of leadership
has
the following characteristics
-The leader is
mostly preoccupied with goal
achievement, not the contentment or
satisfaction
of employees
- The leader keeps significant
distance from employees
- The only way to motivate
employees is through threats and
punishment, rather than rewards.
Even though authoritarian
leadership used to be a very popular
style of leadership, it has dropped out of preference in today's age,
with of
course, some exclusions. Nowadays, the
organizational culture is moving towards flatter structures and
horizontal
communication.
Leaders are embracing more and more democratic,
participative
styles of leadership.
Why apply authoritarian
leadership?
Personality has an essential
role in the application of this type of leadership. Leaders that are controlling and
totalitarians are significantly
predisposed to choose discipline over praise as a motivator, in order
to operate
effectively in very structured circumstances, and to discourage
engagement of employees
in decision making, problem solving, planning etc.
Organizational culture, also,
plays a crucial role. Some
organizations are known for practicing it . Their
employees
are prepared for it, and those who enroll in such organizations expect
and may
even choose to work under such leadership.
To a large degree the type of leadership practiced in a work
environment is a feature of the employer’s viewpoint of their
employees. Many
managers and leaders believe that employees do not have the capacity to
make
decisions
on their own or operate independently. Their perception is
that
employees are only motivated by their salaries and are lazy and not
loyal.
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Authoritarian Leadership
This type of leadership is
sometimes useful for quick decision
making. These types of decisions require precision and an
expert in the
niche in
question to make the ultimate choice for the benefit of the company and
its employees.
Authoritarian leadership is
most
suitable in situations in
which employees are brand new and inexperienced in their jobs. It gets
results
best with larger groups. It also appears to be effective when precise
directions
or high-volume production are required. It can be appropriate in
situations
where time is constrained, employees challenge the leader’s authority,
or a
business or department has been mismanaged by a prior leader.
Authoritarian leadership is
additionally beneficial when tasks
regularly have to be synchronized with other departments of the
company.
This
type of
leadership calls for the leader’s presence or his/her instructions at
all
times. There is no room for creativity or second-guessing. Employees are required to
precisely follow
instructions without questioning them. Their
performance is challenged only through
simple, basic assignments. Considering that all the assignments are
directed
and instructed, this type of management minimizes communication issues,
as the employees
know what they are expected to achieve.
But authoritarian leadership
has
its major disadvantages. It is
linked with high employee turnover rates, employee alienation and
animosity. It
lowers morale and decreases commitment and devotion. There is no
process in
place to make joint decisions or solve problems. Employee expertise is
simply
ignored, thus, leading to lack of respect and consideration.
This monarchic approach gives
no credit to employees, no
space for them to grow or become partners. Additionally, it takes away
the
opportunity to utilize and share experience and expertise within
different levels
of the organization. All
the power, the decisions,
the planning are concentrated at the top. Complex tasks that require
technical skills
are not delegated to employees.
Authoritarian leadership is
multifaceted and like all
leadership choices, it must be considered cautiously and implemented
sensibly,
if it is used at all.
Struggling with your leadership style? Many leaders of small businesses my also consider furthering their education
with a degree from Creighton University online.
Related
Articles:
Styles
of Leadership
Participative
Leadership
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