What is Authoritarian Leadership Style? Examples

Leaders aren’t born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work.

What is Authoritarian Leadership?

Defining Leadership- Authoritarian Leadership, also known as autocratic Leadership, is a style of Leadership in which the leader assumes complete control of the strategy, with little or no involvement from the employees or team members.

Who is an authoritarian leader?

An authoritarian leader is one who makes all of the choices with minimal participation from the other members of the organization. Also, He takes decisions or makes choices based exclusively on his beliefs and does not seek advice or opinions from others.

Authoritarian leadership style

It is a type of self-leadership in which an individual, generally a leader, takes decisions on behalf of the organization. This kind of Leadership is particularly frequent in small businesses with a small workforce.

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5 Authoritarian Leader Qualities

Hence, Here are the leadership traits

1. The leader is the only decision-maker
2. Establish clear objectives for staff
3. Maintain a well-organized work schedule hence, discipline
4. Set firm rules
5. Takes full responsibility for the work

Examples of Authoritarian leaders.

So, Here are examples of some inspirational leaders-

1. Abraham Lincoln– The result of President Lincoln’s authoritarian leadership style was the abolition of slavery, which had not only a tremendous but, long-lasting impact on America.
2. Napoleon Bonaparte– The French Revolution military leader was known for his autocratic leadership style. Moreover, He commanded a huge army without sharing his ideas with anyone.
3. Kim Jong-un– Lastly, one of the most well-known examples of an authoritarian leader, the government of North Korea and all three branches of government are under his control. Besides, His orders are set in stone for everyone living in the country.

Leader’s Tip
Make sure everyone knows what is expected of them and how to do their jobs without any room for misunderstanding.

5 Advantages & Disadvantages of Authoritarian Leadership

So, Here are 5 Advantages

1. Provides a framework
2. Creates a systematic work environment, thus avoiding any confusion
3. Provides direction
4. Facilitates faster decision-making
5. Effective crisis management

 Here are five disadvantages

• There isn’t much room for innovation
• Resistance to change
• Excessive turnover
• Low level of motivation
• Establishes a system of reliance

5 Ways to Become an Authoritarian Leader

Thus, Here are the characteristics that you need to adopt to be a good autocratic leader-

1. Firstly, It takes almost all of the decisions alone
2. Secondly, It create a highly organized and strict work environment.
3. Thirdly, It creates standards and is more likely to be specified and communicated.
4. Fourthly, It Obstructs creativity.
5. And lastly, It allows little or no involvement from group members.

Difference’s b/w Autocratic/Authoritarian and transformational Leadership

Transformational and autocratic Leadership are opposite of each other.

1. Vision and inspiration are the foundations of transformational Leadership; commands are the foundations of authoritarian Leadership.
2. Authoritarian Leadership allows for quick decisions, whereas transformational Leadership takes longer.
3. Transformational Leadership is best suited to change; authoritarian Leadership is equally suited to maintaining the status quo and implementing change.

Leader’s Tip
Strike a healthy middle ground between aggressiveness and empathy by encouraging constructive criticism and a positive atmosphere at work.

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Authoritarian Leadership Books

Here are Authoritarian leadership books

1. Autocratic Leadership: A Basic Introduction by Louis Bevoc
2. Parallels in Autocratic Leadership by Wolfgang Mack

5 best leadership quotes

Here are leadership lessons from some famous leaders.

1. “Leadership is the creation of an environment in which others are able to self-actualize in the process of completing the job.”– John Mellecker
2. Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.”- Dwight D. Eisenhower
3. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”- John Quincy Adams
4. The greatness of a leader is measured by the achievements of the leader.  This is the ultimate test of his effectiveness. – Omar Bradley
5. Leadership consists of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your subordinates credit for everything that goes well.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

FAQs

Key Takeaways

• The leader takes all the decisions on their own and wants everyone to follow their orders to a tee.
• The leader maintains a strict hierarchical organisation with a defined chain of command.
• Subordinates have little leeway to make decisions and are expected to carry out orders without inquiry.