Contrary to what many people would like to believe, there is a place for being autocratic in the workplace as I pointed out in my article Command and Control: Alive and Kicking.
The challenge though, is knowing when to be autocratic, and how to do it without upsetting the world around you. As you probably know, there are lots of different styles you can adopt as a leader, and the more versatile you are, the more capable you will be.
Too often I have observed leaders hesitating to be more directive when the decision (and the people) are screaming for a clear decision. Defaulting to their preferred consensual style (or culture). At the other end of the spectrum, too many dictate when they should be consulting, and I’m sure you’ve noticed this too!
In my experience, the most comprehensive and practical model for leadership styles comes from academics Vroom and Yetton in the 1970s. They outlined 5 styles of leadership and more importantly, provided a way of deciding which style would be most appropriate to the decision at hand.
Rather than replicate what’s already out there on this model, to learn more hop over to Wikipedia. I’d also recommend this article for its excellent overview: Vroom, Yetton, Jago Leadership Style Decisions. Once I discovered an online diagnostic based on this model, but cannot find it now, but if you know of it, please let me know.
My main message here is, as a leader you need to become very adept at making judgments about what style to adopt in any given situation and have the capability to deliver it well. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership.
See also Situational Leadership: Two Vital Concepts You Probably Missed which describes how to adapt your style for individuals.
Colin Gautrey
Provocative Coach/Mentor | Specialism: Impact and Influence
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