From the beginning of time, leadership has been the core in executing our daily life. Leadership is a process of where a person refers as leader helps to guide, manage or instruct another person or a group in order to achieve the goal while executing their tasks. Leadership exists in an organization, family member and also during learning process. A good leader usually produces a good outcome. For example in an organization, a good leader always ensures that their employees finish their works on schedule and get all the assistance they require to complete their task. Leader is the center of group power structure that keeps the group firm together and keeps them moving forward at a steady momentum. Leadership traits may be categorized as a personal pattern that reflects in the way they lead a group or an organization. Furthermore, leadership style can also be defined in several styles. Among them are democratic and autocratic leaderships. The definition of democratic leadership is someone who hears their team member’s voice, empower employees and someone who has the authority to make a final decision. While autocratic leadership is someone who very decisive person, control their employees and someone who has use their authority in making a final decision without hear their employee’s voice. Both of democratic and autocratic leadership make excellent role, but there also exist the different and similarities between them in their advantages, disadvantages and also the best time to use the democratic and autocratic leadership.
Democratic came from Greek’s words and call as demos and kratos, Demos means “people” and Kratos means “power” or “authority”. Democratic leadership is participative, employee-centered and concerned about the relations with their team members. For example in organization context, when the leaders have a good relationship with their employee, this will make it easier for the leaders to understand their employee’s problem and solve it quickly. These will give an advantage to the company because they stand to each other and trust each other. The results will be powerful because they have many idea and creativity given by the employees. This kind of leadership can encourage people to feel good about their involvement and create a pleasant work environment for the employees. Even so, democratic leaderships also have their weakness or disadvantages in their success. The decision making can be a long drawn one since every team member needs to be consulted and the leader can sometimes being indecisive in making decision due to the many opinion that came from all member that participate. This leadership style can’t be use when the project is in an urgent stage. For example in learning process, the team has given a short time to finish their final project. With the five members and one leader on the team, they try to finish their task. But due to the lack of time, the team stuck in the progress of making it success. In addition, the leader sometimes becomes an apologetic. This also can be a weakness of democratic leadership because the employees know the weakness of their leader. By the way, the best time to use this leadership is when the quality is more important than effiency or productivity of the project.
Next is about autocratic leadership that came from Greek’s words. Call as auto which means “self” and Kratos means “power” or “authority”. The autocratic leaderships have a distinct professional relationship between the leaders and the followers. Autocratic leaderships is decisive person, directive leadership and job-centered. Furthermore, decision will be made by the leaders that have the authority. It will be give advantage to organization such as the military or air force because the leader needs to give decision in sharp and quick time. For example, there is situations in the class where there are some students are bullied. The class monitor needs to settle the conflicts between them without the need to ask the classmates on what should he do because autocrat leader will decide the decision by his self. In addition, the autocratic leaderships provide a strong motivation and satisfaction to the leaders. But, the autocratic leaderships also have its disadvantages. This leadership’s style is often categorized as a selfish person. The leader doesn’t care and does not want hear what are been told by their team member. This kind of relationships could raise senses of frustration, low morale, and conflict among team members. And in a long term effect this can cause the negative thoughts toward the leader as well as unproductive working environment. For example in political context, the followers need to follow the leader’s decision, but at the same time he also needs to listen to his follower on their opinion and suggestion in making the best decision for everyone. If the leader fails to listen and ignore his followers then this will create a rift among followers with divided opinion on how their leader should act. Furthermore, trust could be an issue, some feels that they are not being trusted enough in helping making a better solution.
In job perspective, if I as employee were given the chance to choose which leadership style will be suite me, I personally would prefer to choose the democratic leaderships because its suits me more compare to autocratic leadership. If I were a leader too, I’m also will choose democratic leadership. Based on my experience of being a leader, I find that my characteristic suit democratic leadership rather than autocratic leadership because my personality would further enhance my ability of being a leader. I also have had my fair share of being a leader while implementing autocratic style and I didn’t enjoy it. Even though, I successfully able to manage my team, I struggle to make it as successful when compare to democratic. Thus, I would say that I’m much more of a confident leader when I’m able to do it as democrat leader. I enjoy good relationship with those who I’m working with. I know I could count on them as much as they had put their trust on me. To me, the relations between the members are really important.
I can conclude that not everyone can be a leader. Some are born to be a leader, while others have to learn based on experience to be a successful leader. Everyone is different thus their implementation would be different. Some leaders are strict and others are maybe a gentle heart, but regardless of whom is it they first need to understand themselves and assess situation they are in to make the best out of what they have. The weakness in democratic could be a strength in other scenario. Those who would rush to stamp their authority in an organization or group would have a hard time to be a leader. But a leader is really important in an organization, team members, and also plays a vital role in family. In addition, leaders also help to inspire their team members to make a success in doing something. A failure to influence the team members is an indicator of leadership failure. An effective leader is a person that has a character, competence, courage and compassion. These are the components that give them the ability to lead their subordinates in the right direction.