Leona Helmsley of the Helmsley Hotel Chain
Autocratic Leaders in the Corporate World
A striking example of an autocratic leader in the corporate world was Leona Helmsley of the Helmsley HOTEL chain. Her combative style earned her the tabloid nickname "the Queen of Mean."
While Leona’s autocratic leadership style did make the Helmsley HOTEL CHAIN popular, her demands of perfection from everyone, and her exacting ways scraped the dignity of everyone on her payroll, from the cleaning staff to top executives. She allegedly “treated people like garbage,” one example being to fire on the spot a secretary daring to use the Helmsley Palace dry cleaner to remove an accidental spill on her clothing, even though she had worked diligently for eight years.
Disgruntled employees soon raised several charges of tax evasion, kickbacks, extortion, and the like against Leona, and the charges of tax evasion struck. She spent millions of dollars overhauling her mansions and luxuries, and claimed them against the profits of the HOTEL CHAIN. Her personal maid testified against her, and her much-derided quote that "only the little people pay taxes" led her to spend 21 months in prison and fines.