Contents
Hello! If the leader holds power only in his own hands, one can even say that he is quite dogmatic and distrustful of his subordinates — this means that he has chosen an authoritarian management style. And today we will consider how justified this is and what are the pitfalls of such a pronounced directiveness.
General characteristics
It is not so common in the modern world, because the idea of equality and support prevails. This allows you to unlock the potential of employees, inspire them to achieve and, in general, motivate them to work. In the Soviet Union, authoritarianism was very popular in various enterprises. The people of that time had few opportunities for development, but most did not even think about their vocation.
There are such varieties:
- Dictatorial — the manager makes decisions, and his subordinates follow them steadily. But not because of trust in a significant figure, but because of the existing sanctions and punishments.
- Autocratic — characterized by the power of the apparatus of power, which is simply limitless.
- Bureaucratic — the use of outdated, sometimes ineffective management techniques in the work. The authority of the chief is formal.
- Patriarchal — subordinates treat the director as a paternal figure. They are ready to follow him and voluntarily obey.
- Favorable — the manager enjoys authority due to the fact that he is more good-natured towards his team than with other types of management.
- As mentioned above, dogmatism. That is, the faithful adherence to ideas that are considered indestructible, true. And this speaks of the inflexibility of the manager. He is not able to change his mind, even in those situations where it is extremely necessary to do so, otherwise very unfavorable consequences will follow.
- Ban. On individuality, freedom of action, initiative and so on. Diligence is almost the only trait that is encouraged.
- Lack of trust.
- Rigidity in handling and exactingness. It is for this reason that performance is valued. The employee is obliged to strictly follow the instructions and in no case be independent.
- Punishment. The staff is not responsible for the result of their activities, as they are deprived of the opportunity to make decisions. Why is it subject to punishment in case of non-compliance with the boundaries. For example, for being late, absenteeism, untimely execution of orders.
- The microclimate in the team leaves much to be desired. Relations are purely collegial, official, superficial. People do not have a chance to get closer to each other, if only for the reason that even this process is controlled by the authorities.
- A large distance between the manager and his subordinates. Even thoughts of closer fellowship are not allowed. The boss is too inaccessible a figure to take liberties in a conversation.
- Lack of emotional support or empathy. Since employees are perceived only in professional terms, there can be no talk of any of their personal characteristics. What happens inside, what experiences and difficulties arise — no one cares. A person must perform his work qualitatively, despite the emotional state. You can get upset and worry only at home or after hours.
- Subjectivity. Only one person has the right to an opinion, therefore, it is quite difficult to objectively think and evaluate the actions of the staff.
- Few opportunities to show initiative, which can be «punished».
- Vertical presentation of information. That is, only from a higher-ranking person to a lower-ranking person.
Disadvantages
Mistrust
Let’s remember dogmatism. If a person is not able to change his point of view, then he is not able to find a compromise. But how then to regulate conflicts and situations when something does not suit someone? When there is only one correct opinion? Indeed, it is very difficult. In any case, one side must constantly obey and bend, even realizing that the authorities are making a gross mistake that will affect the success of the company, the enterprise.
Blindly following your own agenda can undermine your credibility. Employees will no longer consider such a leader as a professional, experienced and knowledgeable. Accordingly, what kind of trust can we talk about? Moreover, both sides will doubt each other’s abilities. The bosses believe that employees cannot be left for a minute, otherwise they will ruin everything, and those, in turn, think that they are not very lucky with a manager who does not understand what he is doing. And not only does not understand, but also does not want to listen to those who offer sensible ideas.
Costs
The work of an authoritarian leader is quite highly paid. Just imagine how much responsibility one person has. He needs to think for a large number of people, make difficult decisions on his own that can cost him his career. This negatively affects his family relationships and health. Usually such people cannot afford to relax even during the holidays. After all, this is not just a type of leadership, it is already a lifestyle.
Accordingly, wages must compensate for the sacrifices they have to pay. The company needs to put in all the hard work to not only hire a competent manager, but also to keep him as long as possible.
Relations
Due to the control of behavior, employees sometimes have a hard time in the workplace. Since there is practically no opportunity to get support from colleagues, help. Due to the fact that people are not united due to the lack of connections and cannot act independently, in the event of a manager leaving or “dropping out” of the system, the entire team will fall apart. They will not be able to function without a leader who tells what to do to whom.
Limitation
The resources, creativity and thinking abilities of only one person are used. And, as we know, there are no ideal people and everyone can make a mistake, stumble. Therefore, the lack of an opportunity to look at the problem from a different angle, more broadly and objectively, is sometimes expensive.
Yes, and creative individuals do not withstand such pressure by authority. They need to have freedom of action, only then can they express themselves. The suppression of talents and desires can lead to an uncontrollable outburst of aggression, especially if you had to restrain yourself for a long time.
Stability
A person does not need to think, someone else thinks for him. No matter how scary or rude this phrase may sound, but in fact it also includes pluses — subordinates do not spend energy on finding solutions to problems. They do not need to be responsible for the process, the result, and so on. The only thing required is to follow orders. And if you do your job well, then there will be confidence in the future.
Survival
This style is most effective and justified in crisis situations. When there is panic, inconsistency of actions, people cannot decide on the choice of a leader and, in general, do not know what to do, who to listen to. In such cases, directiveness allows not only to work effectively, but also to achieve results as quickly as possible.
Performance
It is believed that a person, if possible, will seek to avoid work. Therefore, when he is not controlled, he relaxes. And although this statement is quite controversial, the performance of the company with this management style is usually at a high level, as orders and threats of punishment do their job.
On the plus side, common tasks are completed faster when there is a clear flow of work, when responsibilities are distributed and everyone knows which piece of work they are responsible for. Creativity and liberality in such cases will slow down the process.
In addition, as you know, deadlines encourage you to work more actively, give your best at 100%, and a competent manager organizes them systematically. To keep the staff in good shape and develop the company as quickly as possible, bypassing competitors. Agree, a rare person will independently set tough requirements and difficult tasks for himself.
Completion
And that’s all for today, dear readers! I recommend that you familiarize yourself with all types of management. For example, what methods are used by leaders with a liberal style, what are its advantages, as well as disadvantages. Good luck and accomplishments!
The material was prepared by a psychologist, Gestalt therapist, Zhuravina Alina