Autocratic Leadership Is Outdated, Try Participation
Get rid of top-down thinking.
How great would it be if you could decide everything yourself?
People listen to you. They do what you tell them to do. No discussions. No follow-up meetings. But seamless working together.
Keep dreaming.
Times have changed. Managers who sit on a throne make their teams miserable. They fake care and don't understand the importance of building relationships.
Oh well. Autocratic leadership is outdated. How about letting go and empowering others for once?
Autocratic leadership
Autocratic leaders follow their ideas and judgments. They act the way they think is appropriate based on their experience.
Leaders have ultimate authority and control over others.
Is it the wrong thing? It depends. Autocratic leadership can be an option in some situations. Yet, you will be called bossy or dictatorial. 👎
How do you know your style is autocratic?
Your approach is the right one. You micromanage others. As a result, they do it the same way you do.
All of your team members are under your leadership. Everyone else is silent.
Your work environment is well-structured and clear but also rigid.
You present decisions but don’t share decision-making.
There are rules on your team, not recommended approaches.
You wave ideas away. “Later.” “Let’s try this for now.”
There is no time for creativity.
You seem to distrust others.
Benefits
As you would have guessed there are moments when autocratic leadership can actually be good. www.verywellmind.com identifies three main situations:
Allows for quick decision-making, especially in stressful situations
If you command a vessel under attack, autocratic leadership might be the only way to ensure everyone does their job.
Offers a clear chain of command or oversight
Who does what is often overlooked. You expect people to know and be up-to-date. Hahaha. No, oversight is often missing, and you need a structure of assigned tasks, accountability, and communication.
Works well where strong, directive leadership is needed
What if the project has poor organization, tight deadlines, or disagreements? If there is a chance the job will be messed up, taking over and putting things back on track is an option.
Likewise, when you start a new team. At the beginning, you might make initial decisions. Later loosen them up and involve more people.
Autocratic leadership does not always work
Bossy leaders are disliked. They can trigger doubts, resentment, and frustration among team members.
Imagine autocratic leadership as a tool you use when needed. You can switch it on and off. You should not keep it as your dominant style in the long term.
Teams nowadays rely on collaboration and trust. While team members trust you as a leader, they still feel frustrated if there is no voice for them.
One time, our boss gave us a task to come up with an improved team structure. We worked on it for a week. We presented the solution. And the boss? He said thank you but decided to proceed with his ideas without considering ours. Bummer!
Discouraging discussion and group input is an issue. Your motivation can sink if you don't listen to other people.
Likewise, they will never feel responsible for their work as it will always be on their shoulders. You don’t want an army of dependent people.
Do you know the saying “Variety is the spice of life?” If you tend to decide alone, you are missing out.
People are surprisingly creative if they feel comfortable speaking up. New perspectives, skills you did not know about, expertise from past jobs, etc. Automatic leadership hinders creativity and innovation.
You may get stuck if you sit on your throne for too long.
The game is over.
What alternatives do you have?
➔ Bill Gates
Bill Gates offers a more participative leadership style. He believes in the value of input from his employees for overall company success.
If you say an autocratic leader does not listen, a participative leader is his opposite.
You must create an arena or virtual space for thought-sharing. The format is up to your team’s needs. You can have:
Knowledge brainstorming meetings
Fu** up meetings to share failures
Take down what’s not working
Group feedback sessions
Strategy directions
The goal is to create a sharing culture. Everybody will have his voice heard. Everyone will get a space.
When this is the case, your engagement skyrockets! Accountability increases, and people pull it together.
But, participation is not natural for all. Education and encouragement will be needed for people to get used to it. Corporate cultures often work on top-down logic. “I tell you what to do. You do it.”
The shift to participation allows you to assess how effectively you can contribute to the team. It is not “I can’t or don’t want to” but rather “I am interested in finding solutions and working on them with you.”
Participation is not easy. But it is worth exploring.
In short
The time of autocratic control is over.
You need to be much more flexible in your leadership style to tackle everyday challenges. Try participation and building a sustainable team culture.
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See you next week! Ivona
I appreciate you message, but I think 'get rid of top down thinking' is too strong. Like so many leadership challenges it's all about balance (both/and rather than either/or): https://www.richardhughesjones.com/polarities/