AUTOCRATIC

Leader makes a decision alone.

-the person in charge has total authority and control over
decision making. By virtue of their position and job
responsibilities, they not only control the efforts of the team, but
monitor them for completion often under close scrutiny. The
authority over the people to whom such authority applies is
delegated by right of command.

This style is reminiscent of the earliest tribes and empires.

-Obviously, our historical movement toward democracy brings a
negative connotation to autocracy, but in some situations, it is
the most appropriate type of leadership. That, of course, doesnt
mean a blank check to ignore the wellbeing of his subordinate.

When is it used?
The autocratic leadership style is best used in situations where control is
necessary, often where there is little margin for error. When conditions are
dangerous, rigid rules can keep people out of harms way. Many times, the
subordinate staff is inexperienced or unfamiliar with the type of work and
heavy oversight is necessary.
Rigid organizations often use this style. It has been known to be very
paternalistic, and in highly-professional, independent minded teams, it can
lead to resentment and strained morale.
Good
o
o
o

fits for Autocratic Leadership:

Military
Manufacturing
Construction

How to be effective with this position:

Its easy to see the immediate goal of this type of leadership: use your
expertise to get the job done. Make sure that everyone is exactly where they
need to be and doing their job, while the important tasks are handled quickly
and correctly.
It is difficult balancing the use of authority with the morale of the team.
Too much direct scrutiny will make your subordinates miserable, and being
too heavy handed will squelch all group input. Being an effective autocratic
leader means being very intentional about when and how demands are made
of the team.

SUPPORTIVE (motivated)

is useful with a team that is new, inexperienced, or otherwise

lacking confidence. When working with a team that has lost
motivation, or whose goals have become unclear through a
significant change in the environment, path goal leadership is a
great way to get everyone back on agreeable terms. With ease to
visualize goals, and the direction to achieve them, you can create a
sort of small-scale mission that is easier to communicate to the
team and get buy in for.
The leader is friendly and approachable.
- The leader can adjust to subordinates needs.and shows
concern for the followers psychological well being, making
the team members more comfortable to pursue their own
goals. Leader encourages a strong communication about
goals and direction. In supportive leadership, the manager is
not so interested in giving orders and managing every detail
as in giving employees the tools they need to work
themselves. While delegation is a vital part of supportive
leadership, managers do not simply assign tasks and then
receive the results. Instead, they work through the tasks with
employees to improve skills and talent until the manager does
not need to worry about a task being done correctly and the
employee is fully empowered in a particular area.
Can be used some business environment
- leaders select specific behaviors that are best suited to the
employees' needs and the working environment so that they
may best guide the employees through their path in the
obtainment of their daily work activities
- For a company and employees who need to be creative and
manage projects by themselves, supportive leadership can
help the company achieve its goals.
- companies, where tasks are straightforward and simple,
supportive management can end up being a waste of time.
The coaching and training aspects of the style can waste time
for such companies and interrupt the accepted decisionmaking process if employees take irresponsible initiative.
It is most effective in situations in which tasks and
relationships are physically or psychologically challenging.
- assumes that people (leaders) are flexible in that they can
change their behavior or style, depending upon the situation.

This coincides with the research that while nature (genes)

may be our internal guide, nurture (experience) is our
explorer that has the final say in what we do.

CUSTODIAN (satisfaction)

Ideas move freely amongst the group and are discussed

openly.
- The democratic leadership style means facilitating the
conversation, encouraging people to share their ideas, and
then synthesizing all the available information into the best
possible decision. The democratic leader must also be able to
communicate that decision back to the group to bring unity
the plan is chosen.
- can bring the best out of an experienced and professional
team. It capitalizes on their skills and talents by letting them
share their views, rather than simply expecting them to
conform.
Employees are satisfied
- Progressive employers believe that there ought to be some
way to develop employee satisfaction. If insecurities,
frustrations, and dissatisfaction of employeews could be
reduced or avoided, they would be more productive.
Slow to make a decision in this structure, so while it may
embrace newer and better methods
- you get presented with so many possibilities and suggestions
that it can be overwhelming and difficult to commit. But as
the leader, when the time comes, you have to choose and do
so with conviction. The team depends on the clear and
unambiguous mandates to be committed.
- You and your team might not agree with every idea, and
thats ok. It is important, however, that you create a healthy
environment where those ideas are entertained and
considered --not maligned-- or the flow of ideas will slow to a
trickle.