autocratic leader

What is an Autocratic Leader?

Miranda Priestly, the bossy boss of The Devil Wears Prada, may not be known for being a cozy person to work for, but she got the shizzle DONE. In a cutthroat fashion industry, she was able to wield her power in a precise way to keep the magazine she produced relevant and to somehow also be a darling of the fashion world.

And that’s what an autocratic leader is all about - they do everything it takes to hit the targets and goals. Autocratic leadership involves absolute, authoritarian control over a group.

It might be tempting to call this a dictator-type style leadership, but it’s merely a more extreme form of Transactional Leadership. Autocratic leaders are not in the business of using their power for oppression or to topple countries - they simply believe in exercising their power for the welfare of the team. They maintain discipline and a strict environment at the workplace.  

This may sound like an awful (or at least unpopular) way to run a business or team, but the autocratic leadership style can serve a lot of purposes and can be fruitful in certain workplace setups, groups, or situations.

The main trait of this style of leading is in having complete control over decision making, with almost no input from others, and based solely on their knowledge and personal instincts. One place where this shines is when there is a crisis - having one person leading the charge, being direct, clear, and providing structure can reduce panic, stress, and overthinking.

The leader has to embrace responsibility since they will shoulder most of it, and be willing to be held accountable for unsuccessful projects and endeavors. But they also need to have strong communications skill and the confidence to pull it all off.

Pros

  • Quick decision making

  • Create a productive workplace

  • Gets the results needed, when they’re needed

  • Provides direct, clear directions - no guesswork needed

  • Effective crisis management

  • Keeps cool under pressure

  • Gets weak groups on track

  • Is a clear and apparent chain of command - you know who you need to go to with questions

  • Offers structure to help get tasks done more efficiently

Cons

  • Potential decrease in employee morale and increase in resentment

  • Discourages group input and creativity

  • Creates a dependency system where the team has no autonomy because the leader makes every decision

  • Works only in limited situations and groups - for example, does not work in a large company

  • Results in micromanagement, which can create fear and further stress on staff

  • Creates mistrust from the team members

elevating your leadership

This style of leadership has its time and place, as mentioned, but if you want to grow as a leader, you’ll want to modify or expand your repertoire so that you can gain more buy-in from your team.

Here are a few ways you can improve upon your Autocratic style so that it’s more open, intentional, and reduces stress overall:

  • Be open to listening to your direct reports - even if you don’t implement their suggestions, they will at least feel that they can express their concerns

  • Give them the guidance, tools, resources, and/or training they need to do the best job they can - in other words, don’t leave them hanging

  • Be consistent with your rules and how you enforce them - building trust starts with a level playing field and that you’re being fair

  • Praise and reward team members who problem solve and who are more productive - this will help build morale and help motivate staff

  • Step back from micromanaging - this may not be easy, as there are many reasons managers and leaders micromanage, but if you can even pull back in one area and give a bit of autonomy to your team, you may be surprised with what they can come up with.

The autocratic style can run its course quickly, so if you can gently open yourself up to seeing things in a different light, and even adopt a different style of leadership (Transactional or Democratic might be easier to step into than Servant or Charismatic styles), then you may find yourself with less stress and a team that is more willing to going to bat for you.

And of course, if you need support, guidance, mentorship, or just a space to brainstorm to help build your leadership acumen, you can find out how to work with me by smashing the button below. I offer many ways to help you create the leadership you desire to make the impact you know you can make in your life.

Or, you can join THE SPARK: IGNITING NEXT LEVEL LEADERSHIP - a community of all levels of leadership - where you will get tools, peer support and techniques that you can use to shift your thinking and abilities so that you can help grow yourself, your team(s) and your business. It’s for folks like you - fired up, future-forward, and ferocious in your desire to be a stronger and more powerful leader. Click below to join for FREE!