The Authoritarian or Autocratic Leader - Quiz
Choose your answer and write the correct one down. Then click HERE for the answers to this quiz.
NOTE: The transcript from the video is listed below the quiz for your reference.
1. _________ often emerge in the business environment as the authoritarian or autocratic leader.
- Ninjas
- Control freaks
- Passive people
- Type B personalities
2. Autocratic leaders have complete control over ____________.
- the organization
- external environments
- decision making
-
compensation
3. Autocratic leaders expect their subordinates to trust that they have come to the best possible decision on their own.
- TRUE
- FALSE
4. Benefits of the authoritarian style of leadership include all of the following except
- leaders can make decisions that carry a heavy burden
- leaders can micromanage employees to keep a close eye on them
- leaders can provide structure and expectations when excellence is the anticipation
- leaders can make decisions in times of crisis
5. Drawbacks of the authoritarian style of leadership include all of the following except
- regarded by subordinates as inferior
- regarded by subordinates as bossy and controlling
- do not invite subordinates to participate in decision making
- can be a micromanager
If you've ever had to deal with a boss who's a control freak, this lesson on autocratic leaders may help you see your boss in a new light. Yes, there can be advantages when one person has complete control over decision making.
Control Freaks
'It's my way or the highway.' 'If you want something done right you have to do it yourself.' 'Anything you can do I can do better.' Perhaps you have heard someone say one of these phrases before or maybe you have said one of them yourself. They all encompass this idea of control. Often regarded as control freaks, these people try to dictate anything and everything in their lives, and sometimes in the lives of others. They are often perfectionists and demand excellence from themselves and others. In management, control freaks can really cause anguish for their followers and often result in micromanagement. They tend to regard themselves as superior to others and feel that it is necessary for them to intervene continuously in the works of their subordinates to ensure that things are completed to their standards. This often leaves subordinates who resent their leader and regard them as being bossy, controlling, and dictatorial.
The Authoritarian or Autocratic Leader
Their decisions should not be questioned by followers; rather, they expect them to take them as the golden rule. Authoritarian leaders are meticulous planners and expect that their subordinates will trust that they have come to the best possible decision on their own without needing insight from others. Famous autocratic leaders include Martha Stewart, Saddam Hussein, Joseph Stalin, and Howell Raines.
The Benefits of the Authoritarian or Autocratic Leader
While some of you might be thinking that you know exactly where you would tell a boss who practiced this style of leadership to stuff it, you should know that there are some benefits to autocratic leadership. For example, the authoritarian leadership style is extremely useful when decisions need to be made quickly. There are certainly many decisions in business that need to be made on the fly and without the input of others. This is where the autocratic leader's ability to make decisions on their own is a valuable asset to an organization.
Lesson Summary
Let's review. Control freaks often emerge in the business environment as the authoritarian or autocratic leader. These leaders have complete control over decision making and expect their subordinates to trust that they have come to the best possible decision on their own without needing insight from others. Their decisions should not be questioned by followers, rather they should be accepted as the golden rule. Drawbacks of this style of leadership include causing anguish to their followers, who are often micromanaged, regarding themselves as superior to others, which causes resentment in followers who often consider the autocratic leader as bossy, controlling, and dictatorial. However, the authoritarian leader can also prove useful in situations where decisions need to be made quickly, during times of crisis, and when excellence is the expectation, as well as when decisions carry a heavy burden. Famous autocratic leaders include Martha Stewart, Saddam Hussein, Joseph Stalin, and Howell Raines.