2024
Leadership
Assessment
AUTOCRATIC STYLE
ABIR SIRAJI
Siraji 1
Leadership Assessment
Introduction
Everyone should take leadership assessments because it gives you the proper information on
what kind of leader you are. When you know your style, it is important to read up on what you
do good at and what you do bad at. Being self-aware of these things will allow you to become an
effective leader. This will result in the team having trust in you when in a professional setting.
We will talk about the autocratic style, the characteristics, and the pros and cons. We will also
talk about famous individuals that possess this leadership style like Steve Jobs, and how his
leadership looked like in Apple.
Summary
Autocratic leadership can also be known as authoritarian leadership to some people in which the
leader is the one that makes all the final decisions and does not incorporate much input from the
team. Autocratic leaders have a preference to be in control and give out directions that are clear
for the tea members to follow. They have a set of rules that are strict for their teams and expect
them to follow them without questioning the validity of it. According to the assessment that was
assigned, I fall under the category of autocratic leader. My time in undergrad was when I wanted
to make sure that I got the best grade possible. I did not trust my team to do what they were
supposed to do, so I took matters into my own hands since I was the smartest in the group. I will
make sure to assign roles based on everyone’s maturity level. I will also assign different parts
and expect my team to finish them by a certain date. I do this to make sure everything goes to
plan as I do not want to trust people that might not do it right the first time without my
supervision. This style can be affected when decisions need to be made quickly or when the
Siraji 2
group acknowledges that the leader has the most knowledge, which in most cases I do(Cherry,
2016).
Advantages of Autocratic Leadership
The main advantages that can be seen from this leadership style is how It allows for making
decisions on the fly. This can come in handy when the situation is full of pressure and time is of
the essence. Since the leader is making the final decision, there is fast movement without the
need to get others involved. Another advantage is that there is a set and clear chain of command.
Everyone is aware of who is the key decision maker and the role they have, which is useful when
maintaining order and making sure that tasks are done in an efficient manner. There is much
structure and direction when it comes to this leadership style. When you are in an environment
that needs precision like the military, this style makes sure that everyone follows protocol and
stays in order (Cherry, 2023).
Disadvantages:
While the benefits are clear and useful, there are many downsides to this type of leadership. One
big disadvantage that can be seen is that it does not take into account the input of the team. When
leaders are the ones only making decisions, this makes the team not feel like they are valued.
This can often result in feelings of resentment which can affect the morale of the team. People
generally want to have a part in the decision-making process. Being told what to do all the time
can lead to team members feeling unhappy and having a decrease in motivation. Autocratic
leadership can also take a big hit on creativity since it discourages input from others and only
focuses on rules. Team members will not have the urge and feeling to come up with new ideas
(Cherry, 2023).
Siraji 3
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs was one of the more famous people that was an autocratic leader. He was the one that
oversaw the vision of the company. He also has the only say on how the products were designed.
He was known for being super strict on all aspects of Apple. The job’s style was effective
because it allowed him to make decisions quickly which helped Apple come out with innovative
products like the iMac and iPhone. He was able to handle pressure which was important
especially when he came back to Apple in 1997 to save the company from going to bankruptcy.
However, it was not always good things that came from his form of leadership. He was known as
a person that had trust issues which resulted in him micromanaging the team and not being open
to feedback. This made the work environment stressful, and it had a big hit on the morale of
employees (EWOR).
Conclusion
All in all, for a leader to be effective, they must be able to know the ins and outs of the different
leadership styles to make sure the team is successful. A leader can be well rounded if they know
their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to their leadership style. While autocratic leaders
can be seen as bad, they serve a purpose when needed. It is important for a leader to be able to
adapt to all situations of human endeavors.
Siraji 4
References
Cherry, K. (2023, June 27). What are the pros and cons of autocratic leadership?. Verywell
Mind. [Link]
Cherry, K. (2016 Jun 16). What's Your Leadership Style? Retrieved
from [Link]
quizResult=ea4675ac
EWOR. (n.d.). Pros and cons of Steve Jobs’ autocratic leadership style.
[Link]
