AUTOCRATIC LEADERSHIP

WHAT IS IT?

• Autocratic leadership refers to a style of leadership
• where the leader has complete authority over decision making
• and the employees obey the leader without question

CHARACTERISTICS

• Little or no input from group members
• Leaders make the decisions
• Group leaders dictate all the work methods and processes
• Group members are rarely trusted with decisions or important tasks

DEVELOPMENT

• has it basis in a theory developed by Douglas McGregor's;
• Theory X and Theory Y behavioural traits

THEORY X

• Theory X suggests that all employees are inherently lazy
• and that they have a natural dislike of working
• It is necessary, therefore, for managers to closely supervise employee
• Monitoring their activities
• And making sure that employees complete their duties.

THEORY Y

• Theory Y on the other hand suggests the opposite
• It proposes that all employees are self motived
• and will act responsibly within the work environment
• to apply their creativity to problems
• and their skills to achieving their work tasks.

BUT

• Applying an autocratic style of leadership to Theory Y orientated employees
• such as white-collar professionals, would have a negative effect
• However, there are some situations where autocratic leadership may be desirable;

DOWNSIDE

• The employee has low motivatation or little desire to achieve,
• often passing their work responsibilities onto others
• Group members are reluctant to take responsibility
• Collective or participative decision making causes delays
• project needs to be keep on schedule

DOWNSIDE

• Group members are inexperienced
• unfamiliar with their role and trial and error needs to be avoided
• Low skilled or unskilled workforce

IT ACTUALLY DEPENDS

DEPENDS ON

• depend upon your employees and the skills
• motivation and professionalism they have
• The advantages and disadvantages of using
• an autocratic leadership style will depend upon the situation
• the employee population and the work tasks that need to be performed

BEST USE IN

• An autocratic leadership style is perfectly acceptable
• To achieve results where there is a low skilled workforce
• who require routine and instruction to complete simple work tasks
• But where creativity, complex problem solving and out the box thinking
• Theory Y behavioural trait management style will be much more effective

THANKYOU

SOURCES

• http://www.task.fm/autocratic-leadership
• http://psychology.about.com/od/leadership/f/autocratic-leadership.htm