Dictatorship:

The dictatorial leadership style focuses on the leader and no one else. It is a style of leadership where
there is always personal control over the decision-making process for the team. A leader using this style
may choose to receive feedback from their team, but any decision is theirs to make alone.

Dictatorial leaders tend to make decisions that are based on their own moral code. They combine their
experiences, observations, and ideas together to create judgments. These judgments are then used to
maintain absolute control over the group, often using rewards and punishments to generate loyalty.

This leadership style demands compliance and unquestioning support whenever an order is issued. Even
if an organizational policy is different than the order given, dictatorial leaders will still expect
compliance.

The leader or manager uses this style to operate like a dictator. He/she makes all the decisions
about what, where, when, why, how things are done, and who will do them. 

The characteristics of dictatorial leader are: all decision making power is with them, they are unrealistic in
demands, uses excessive discipline & punishment, does not allow others to question authority or
decisions.

Dictatorships are all about total power. However, a dictator doesn’t call themselves a dictator.
They might be a president, prime minister, king, or even parliament; however, this person or
small group has totalitarian rule over the country. The key factor of a dictatorship is that the
dictator is typically cruel to a people group or does not meet the needs of their country.

Dictatorships might happen non-violently, like how Hitler took over Germany with the “Enable
Act” followed by the “Reichstag Fire Decree”. Most dictatorships, however, happen by force.
For example, when a military dictatorship takes over a country.

Examples:

Reflecting on the dictatorship leadership, German dictator Adolph Hitler or Joseph Stalin, leader of the
Soviet Union may come to mind. 

Fahim Afridi
Authoritarian:

While a dictatorship and an Authoritarian might sound similar, they have some very distinct differences.
Both have a single leader, Authoritarian are typically passed down through family lines. Additionally, an
Authoritarian leader holds the supreme power but does not typically wield it in an oppressive manner. A
dictator, on the other hand, usually oppresses the people and is generally punished when their dictatorship
has been overthrown. While not a requirement, most dictators have a high rank in the military.

An authoritarian leader rules with total power. This style offers no opportunity for participant input; the
leader makes all the decisions, critical knowledge is kept to themselves and they lay down the law.
Examples of this leadership style are seen in the military, mafia or a street gang. Authoritarian leadership
can also be present in situations where there is a “power clique” in which clique members see themselves
as having a higher status than others and believe they must give orders to get things done.

A Leader is autocratic if he/she:

 Have self-confidence
 Are self-motivated
 Communicate clearly and consistently
 Follow the rules
 Value highly structured environments
 Believe in supervised work environments

Benefits: Autocratic leaders can promote productivity through delegation, provide clear and
direct communication, reduce employee stress by making decisions quickly on their own.

Challenges: This style of leadership can cause stress to the leader by bearing all the weight of
decision making. The lack of flexibility and rigidness, as well as the lack of interest in hearing
the ideas from others, can cause resentment on the team.

Example: Before an operation, the surgeon carefully recounts the rules and processes of the
operation room with every team member who will be helping during the surgery. She wants to
ensure everyone is clear on the expectations and follows each procedure carefully and exactly so
the surgery goes as smoothly as possible.

Fahim Afridi
Democratic:

A democratic leader is someone who asks for input and considers feedback from their team
before making a decision. Because team members feel their voice is heard and their contributions
matter, a democratic leadership style is often credited with fostering higher levels of employee
engagement and workplace satisfaction. However, the leader maintains the final decision making
authority. Using this style is not a sign of weakness; rather it is a sign of strength that your
employees will respect.

Because this type of leadership drives discussion and participation, it’s an excellent style for
organizations focused on creativity and innovation—such as the technology industry.

A Leader can be Democratic if He/She:

 Value group discussions

 Are good at mediation
 Provide all information to team when making decisions
 Are flexible
 Promote a work environment where everyone shares their ideas

Benefits:
In this leadership style employees can feel empowered, valued and unified. It has the power to
boost retention and morale. It also requires less managerial oversight, as employees are typically
part of decision-making processes and know what they need to do.

Challenges:
This style has the potential to be inefficient & costly as it takes a long time to organize big group
discussions, obtain feedback & ideas, discuss possible outcomes and communicate a decision.

Example: As a store manager, Jack has hired many brilliant and focused team members he
trusts. When deciding on storefronts and floor design, Jack acts only as the final moderator for
his team to move forward with their ideas. He is there to answer questions and present possible
improvements for his team to consider.

Fahim Afridi
Free Reign Leader:

In this style, the leader allows the employees to make the decision. However, the leader is still
responsible for the decisions that are made. This is used when employees are able to analyze the
situation and determine what needs to be done and how to do it. You cannot do everything! You
must set priorities and delegate certain tasks.

This is not a style to use so that you can blame others when things go wrong, rather this is a style
to be used when you have the full trust and confidence in the people below you. Do not be afraid
to use it, however, use it wisely!

A leader is Free Reign if he/she:

 Effectively delegate
 Believe in freedom of choice
 Provide sufficient resources and tools
 Will take control if needed
 Offer constructive criticism
 Foster leadership qualities in your team
Promote an autonomous work environment

Benefits: This style encourages accountability, creativity and a relaxed work environment.
Because of this, it can also increase employee retention.

Challenges: This style does not work well for new employees, as they need guidance and hands-
on support in their early days. This method can also lead to a lack of structure, leadership
confusion and employees feeling a lack of support.

Example: When welcoming new employees, a manager explains that his/her engineers can set
and maintain their own work schedules as long as they are tracking towards and hitting goals that

Fahim Afridi
they set together as a team. They are also free to learn about and participate in projects outside of
their team they might be interested in.

Fahim Afridi