The term authoritative leadership sounds scary. It seems rigid and firm — like the very picture of ruling with an iron fist. But if you dig deeper into authoritative leadership, you’ll quickly realize that it’s not quite as unforgiving as the name implies.
While there are other more flexible and collaborative leadership styles (like servant leadership, coaching leadership, and transformational leadership) that are often preferable to this one in the modern workplace, this approach still has its merits in specific scenarios.
What is authoritative leadership?
Authoritative leadership was first coined by psychologist and author Daniel Goleman in his 2002 book Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence. He describes an authoritative leader (often called an “autocratic” or “visionary” leader) as one who “articulates where a group is going but not how it will get there.”
Put simply, an authoritative leader sets the finish line and equips their team with running shoes. However, team members have the autonomy to decide on their best route to the finish line.
That doesn’t mean the leader steps back and is entirely hands-off. Authoritative leaders offer guidance and encouragement when needed, acting as dedicated coaches and mentors to the people they lead. For that reason, authoritative leaders tend to be:
- Confident: Team members look to the leader for decisions and direction, so authoritative leaders need to possess self-confidence to inspire that level of trust.
- Decisive: The leader is ultimately the one calling the shots, so they need to make quick and effective decisions and relay that information to their teams.
- Emotionally intelligent: This approach is far more people-focused than you might think – leaders need a high degree of emotional intelligence to empathize with team members and respond to their needs and challenges.
- Focused: Because authoritative leadership hinges on rallying the team around a vision, these leaders need to maintain a clear focus on an objective.
- Inspirational: Effective authoritative leaders do more than dole out directives – they motivate people and elicit genuine enthusiasm for a goal.
- Strategic: Authoritative leaders invite their team along for the ride, but they’re still the ones in the driver’s seat. They need to be strategic-minded to consider long-term goals and the bigger picture.
- Supportive: This leadership style is, perhaps counterintuitively, more supportive than strict, and these leaders provide support and resources and help address challenges without judgment, criticism, or reprimands.
Authoritative vs. authoritarian leadership: What’s the difference?
The authoritative leadership style gets a bad rap — probably because it’s frequently confused with the authoritarian leadership style. While the two terms are similar, the approaches are quite different:
- Authoritative leadership: The leader sets a goal and encourages the team to work together to achieve it, leading by example and balancing autonomy with support.
- Authoritarian leadership: The leader sets a goal and the exact path to get there, expecting employees to comply with strict directives without voicing concerns or disagreement.
Harvard Business School summarizes it perfectly: “Authoritative leaders say, ‘Come with me;’ authoritarian leaders say, ‘Do what I tell you.’”
Exploring the pros and cons of authoritative leadership style
Understandably, growth-minded and aspiring leaders often find themselves searching for the “ideal” leadership style — that holy-grail approach that will put them in the proverbial leadership hall of fame.
But the truth is that every approach to leadership has its advantages and downsides, and that includes the authoritative style. Here are a few of the most notable benefits and drawbacks to consider.
Pros of authoritative leadership
- Clarity: Because the leader is responsible for setting the objective and vision, there’s little confusion or debate about where the team is headed.
- Speed and efficiency: While collaborative decisions can be good for getting buy-in and engagement, there’s no denying they’re slow. In contrast, authoritative leadership gives the leader all of the decision-making power, which means decisions are swift.
- Predictability: Authoritative leadership offers clear direction and reliable guidance, giving team members a sense of stability and consistency.
- Trust: Leaders need to be in tune with their team and promptly respond to their needs and challenges. That demands a high level of emotional intelligence, which can help foster trust and a more positive work environment.
Cons of authoritative leadership
- Accountability: Because leaders are the ones making the decisions they’re ultimately responsible for the wins and losses on their team. That level of accountability doesn’t come naturally to many leaders.
- Alignment: Authoritative leaders need to be highly aligned with the company’s strategy, which is an area where many leaders struggle. Only 29% of employees say their leader’s vision for the future aligns with the organization’s vision.
- Dependency: Team members sometimes become overly reliant on their leader for direction and decisions, which can get in the way of individual career development and independence.
- Inflexibility: While authoritative leaders are supportive, they don’t welcome team input at the decision-making or goal-setting stage. Employees increasingly want visibility and involvement in company decision-making processes, and many of them won’t appreciate feeling repeatedly shut out.
- Micromanagement: An authoritative leader should set a goal without being prescriptive about how an employee achieves it. But that can be a fine line, and many authoritative leaders creep into overbearing micromanager territory.
When should you use an authoritative leadership style?
Your team is ever-changing — and a good leader knows to adapt their leadership style based on unique circumstances (there’s even a term for that: situational leadership). So what are some examples of times when authoritative leadership is your best bet?
- When you’re navigating a big change: In times of uncertainty, team members look to their leaders to reassure them, inspire confidence, and lead the way forward. Authoritative leaders have the self-assuredness, decisiveness, and empathy to earn that trust.
- When you need to make a quick decision: Whether another team is waiting on a direction or the company needs to act quickly, sometimes decision-making needs to happen fast. Authoritative leaders can swiftly and confidently make sound decisions.
- When you’re onboarding a new team member: Starting a new job is nerve-racking, and brand new employees often look to their direct manager to help them get acclimated. An authoritative leadership style provides the clear direction new team members need to move forward while still allowing them space to learn and innovate.
- When your team faces criticism or pushback: Authoritative leadership emphasizes accountability — not just in good times, but in tough times too. An authoritative leader accepts responsibility for the team’s performance and also serves as a fierce advocate and champion when necessary.
Authoritative leadership conjures a rather harsh connotation, but it’s not as strict or unilateral as the name implies. While no leadership style is perfect, this is an effective and reliable approach for situations when you need to set a clear course – but not necessarily steer the ship.