Attachment
1. Autocratic Leadership
1.1 Characteristics of Autocratic Leadership
• Little or no input from group members
• Leaders make the decisions
• Group leaders dictate all the work methods and processes
• Group members are rarely trusted with decisions or important tasks
1.2 Benefits of Autocratic Leadership
Autocratic leadership can be beneficial in some instances, such as when decisions need to be made quickly without consulting with a large group of people. Some projects require strong leadership in order to get things accomplished quickly and efficiently.
Have you ever worked with a group of students or co-workers on a project that got derailed by poor organization, a lack of leadership, and an inability to set deadlines? If so, chances are that your grade or job performance suffered as a result. In such situations, a strong leader who utilizes an autocratic style can take charge of the group, assign tasks to different members, and establish solid deadlines for projects to be finished.
In situations that are particularly stressful, such as during military conflicts, group members may actually prefer an autocratic style. It allows members of the group to focus on performing specific tasks without worrying about making complex decisions. This also allows group members to become highly skilled at performing certain duties, which can be beneficial to the group.
1.3 Downsides of Autocratic Leadership
While autocratic leadership can be beneficial at times, there are also many instances where this leadership style can be problematic. People who abuse an autocratic leadership style are often viewed as bossy, controlling, and dictatorial, which can lead to resentment among group members.
Because autocratic leaders make decisions without consulting the group, people in the group may dislike that they are unable to contribute ideas. Researchers have also found that autocratic leadership often results in a lack of creative solutions to problems, which can ultimately hurt the performance of the group.
While autocratic leadership does have some potential pitfalls, leaders can learn to use elements of this style wisely. For example, an autocratic style can be used effectively in situations where the leader is the most knowledgeable member of the group or has access to information that other members of the group do not.
2. Participative Leadership (Democratic)
2.1 Characteristics of Democratic Leadership
• Group members are encouraged to share ideas and opinions, even though the leader retains the final say over decisions
• Members of the group feel more engaged in the process
• Creativity is encouraged and rewarded
• Good democratic leaders possess specific traits that include:
o Honesty
o Intelligence
o Courage
o Creativity
o Competence
o Fairness
• Strong democratic leaders inspire trust among followers. They are sincere and base their decisions on their morals and values
• Followers tend to feel inspired to take action and contribute to the group
• Good leaders also tend to seek out diverse opinions and do not try to silence dissenting voices or those that offer a less popular point of view
2.2 Benefits of Democratic Leadership
• Because group members are encouraged to share their thoughts, democratic leadership can leader to better ideas and more creative solutions to problems
• Group members also feel more involved and committed to projects, making them more likely to care about the end results
• Democratic leadership leads to higher productivity among group members
2.3 Downsides of Democratic Leadership
• While democratic leadership has been described as the most effective leadership style, it does have some potential downsides
• In situations where roles are unclear or time is of the essence, democratic leadership can lead to communication failures and uncompleted projects
• In some cases, group members may not have the necessary knowledge or expertise to make quality contributions to the decision-making process
• Democratic leadership works best in situations where group members are skilled and eager to share their knowledge
• It is also important to have plenty of time to allow people to contribute, develop a plan and then vote on the best course of action