This form of leadership is one of the least desirable when it comes to building trusting relationships and making friends! In a system of autocratic leadership, one person has control over all of the workers or followers. The leader is in complete control and no one is permitted to make any suggestions or offer any opinions, no matter how it may benefit the group.
When it comes to leading a group in school or in a group project, you will find that autocratic leadership can make you very unpopular. If communication and trust are important, you don’t want to lean too far toward autocratic leadership.
But there is a time when autocratic traits can prove beneficial. This form of leadership is effective when absolute control is needed over a group. Have you ever worked on a group project that fell flat? That happens when no strong leader is present.
Benefits of Autocratic Leadership
Group projects require strong leadership. Without it, nobody gets a full understanding of what is required of anybody else. Unfortunately, that often means that some group members procrastinate and wait for others to do the work. In the end, the project suffers (and so does your grade!).
If your group plans to work online at all, you should really think about electing a strong leader. This leader should be willing to take charge, divide the work, and set deadlines. He or she must take full control. Communication is difficult enough when it comes to group work, but when technology is involved it often breaks down completely.
If your group attempts to communicate via email or other electronic communication, strong leadership is an absolute must! It is wise, when working in a group, to assign a strong leader with some autocratic tendencies.
