What is the difference between autocratic and authoritarian leadership?
Autocratic leadership, also known as authoritarian leadership, is a leadership style characterized by individual control over all decisions and little input from group members. Autocratic leaders typically make choices based on their ideas and judgments and rarely accept advice from followers.
Autocratic leadership is generally understood to reflect a particular style of leadership where power and authority are concentrated in the leader, whereas authoritarian leadership reflects a domineering style that generally has negative implications (e.g., House, 1996).
Autocratic leaders make all the decisions themselves. They do not consult their team, or let them make decisions. Once the decision has been made, they impose it and expect obedience. Democratic leaders take an active role in the decision-making process but they involve others.
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Comparison Chart.
Basis for Comparison | Autocratic Leadership | Democratic Leadership |
---|---|---|
Conceived from | Theory X | Theory Y |
Control | High level of control | Low level of control |
Autonomy | Less | High |
What do Adolf Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte, Queen Elizabeth I, and Vladimir Putin have in common? They are all examples of autocratic leadership—when one leader exercises complete, authoritarian control over a group or organization—or in the case of these famous autocrats, vast empires.
1. Engelbert Dollfuss. Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss held this position from 1932 to 1934. He is known for being an authoritarian leader and refusing to be in an alliance with Germany in a customs union.
Definition of authoritarian
1 : of, relating to, or favoring blind submission to authority had authoritarian parents. 2 : of, relating to, or favoring a concentration of power in a leader or an elite not constitutionally responsible to the people an authoritarian regime.
There are three basic styles of leadership decision-making: authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire. Authoritarian leaders rule their groups, democratic leaders try to include everyone in the decision-making process, and laissez-faire leaders let the group function without much - if any - interference.
Autocratic leadership will be helpful in situations where a business faces constant change or a crisis. It will be able to react to the situation promptly compared to other leadership styles, because of streamlined organizational structure and quick decision-making ability.
Autocratic leadership is where the leader is making all decisions and exerts a high level of control over the subordinates. Bureaucratic style is based on following normative rules in management and decision making, and adhering to lines of authority.
What is one characteristic about the authoritarian leadership style?
This leadership style is a leadership style in which, without accepting participation, the authoritarian leader makes all the decisions themselves and delegates the tasks. This leader will check and punish their employees more severely and quickly and will never involve them in complex decision making.
Our findings reveal that authoritarian leadership is positively related to employee performance through learning goal orientation, and the strength of the relationship is dependent on employees' power distance.

Examples of leaders who have used authoritarian leadership include Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Bill Gates, Kim Jong-un, Larry Ellison, Lorne Michaels, Richard Nixon and Vladimir Putin.
Autocratic leadership works best in situations requiring error-free performance or urgent decisions and problems with time limitations or potential safety threats. To better understand autocratic leadership, you need to know the characteristics or core character traits exhibited by people with this leadership style.
- Allows little or no input from group members.
- Requires leaders to make almost all of the decisions.
- Provides leaders with the ability to dictate work methods and processes.
- Leaves group feeling like they aren't trusted with decisions or important tasks.
- It produces consistent results in small-group situations. ...
- It reduces the time needed to make decisions. ...
- It places all the pressure on the leader. ...
- It creates a consistent result. ...
- It creates clarity within the chain-of-command. ...
- It can provide a boost in productivity.
The definition of an authoritarian is a person who expects everyone to do what he says to do. A dictator is an example of an authoritarian. Characterized by or favoring absolute obedience to authority, as against individual freedom. An authoritarian regime.
- Authoritarian parents are strict disciplinarians, often relying on physical punishment and the withdrawal of affection to shape their child's behavior. ...
- I'm not authoritarian by nature but I knew there was a desperate need for leadership of our group.
Comparison. Leadership style defines how leaders direct the work of a group of individuals. Leadership style refers to the actions leaders take to gather input from subordinates, make decisions, solve problems and review results. In contrast, leadership traits describe the personality types of successful leaders.
1. Authoritative Leadership. The authoritative leader knows the mission, is confident in working toward it, and empowers team members to take charge just as she is. The authoritative leader uses vision to drive strategy and encourages team members to use their strengths and emerge as leaders themselves.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of autocratic leadership?
- Faster Decision-making. ...
- Better Communication. ...
- Boosts Productivity. ...
- Effective Handling Of Crises. ...
- Reduces Employee Stress. ...
- Ideal To Counter Team Inexperience.
Autocratic, or authoritarian leaders, are often described as those with ultimate authority and power over others. These leaders tend to make choices based upon their own ideas alone and do not listen to their team or seek input from others.
- Understand what motivates an autocratic leader. ...
- Know the weaknesses of an autocratic leader. ...
- Never take it personally. ...
- How to deal with autocratic bosses:
- Don´t try to change them. ...
- Focus on your work. ...
- Avoid fights. ...
- Do not be defensive.
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Difference between Bureaucracy and Democracy.
Bureaucracy | Democracy |
---|---|
In Bureaucracy, the bureaucrats are not considered as public representatives. | In Democracy, leaders are public representatives. |
- Autocratic.
- Democratic.
- Laissez-faire.
- Transformational.
What Is Bureaucratic Leadership? Bureaucratic leadership is a leadership style that favors rigid structure to enact efficient systems and calculability. This organizational structure lets a company run like a machine because employees know their role and the reporting hierarchy.
Leadership is a vital management function that helps to direct an organization's resources for improved efficiency and the achievement of goals. Effective leaders provide clarity of purpose, motivate and guide the organization to realize its mission.
- "An agile leadership style may be the ultimate leadership style required for leading today's talent" ...
- Autocratic Style. ...
- Authoritative Style. ...
- Pace-Setting Style. ...
- Democratic Style. ...
- Coaching Style. ...
- Affiliative Style. ...
- Laissez-Faire Style.
Why is it important to know your leadership style? An awareness of different styles - and their strengths, weaknesses, and suitability - allows you to work in the way that best lends itself to your personality. This will bring the most benefit to the people you are leading and the organisation you are working within.
Autocratic leadership is where the leader is making all decisions and exerts a high level of control over the subordinates. Bureaucratic style is based on following normative rules in management and decision making, and adhering to lines of authority.
What is an example of an authoritarian government?
Examples include the Russian Federation and Soviet Eastern Bloc states in the mid-1980s. The post-Mao Zedong People's Republic of China was viewed as post-totalitarian in the 1990s and early 2000s, with a limited degree of increase in pluralism and civil society.
This leadership style is a leadership style in which, without accepting participation, the authoritarian leader makes all the decisions themselves and delegates the tasks. This leader will check and punish their employees more severely and quickly and will never involve them in complex decision making.
An autocratic leader runs the organisation in an authoritarian style and is known to solely make decisions of the organisation without involving the subordinates. On the contrast, a participative leader discharges a democratic leadership style by engaging the subordinates in decision-making process.