Autocratic Leaders Can Cause Big Problems

Cathie Leimbach • July 23, 2020

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Some leaders are staunch autocrats. They believe that being responsible for team or company performance requires them to control where, when, and how employees do their work.


Others are servant leaders. They leverage their employees’ strengths. They assign tasks that fit with each employees’ natural preferences. They are clear on what the employees are expected to accomplish and encourage their staff to find the best way for them to achieve these results.


Unfortunately, I have experience using both of these leadership styles. Servant leadership is a win/win/win while autocratic leadership can be a lose/lose/lose for the leader, the team members, and the organization. Interpersonal rapport, personal satisfaction, and bottom line results are all stronger with servant leadership. 


Servant leaders help employees to feel appreciated and valued, which increases employee engagement, retention, and productivity, resulting in a good bottom line for the organization. Yet, few managers are not servant leaders. 51% of managers think they are showing appreciation to their staff, only 17% of the workforce feels appreciated and valued. 65% of employees have left an organization to escape from a bad boss and the toxic workplace the leader created.


Our economy and our quality of life are both suffering because the majority of managers are ineffective. Only 35% get any training on how to lead people, and only 10% display effective people management skills during their first 10 years in a people leadership position. Many use an autocratic leadership style which frequently backfires.


Autocratic leaders often give employees step by step instructions on when and how to do their work, rather than clearly defining the results they should achieve and giving them flexibility with how to get there. Employees become frustrated with their boss’s micromanagement. (My children have balked when I have used the autocratic style when assigning chores they have done before.) Employees (or spouses and children) may discover ways to do their work that are more efficient and more fun. They may have a more alert mind and more energy in the morning, so want to do their hardest or least-liked work early in the day. Autocratic managers squelch such innovation and insist on following a standard process.


By denying their staff the opportunity to change for the better, autocratic leaders hinder the organization’s future success. 


Research shows that when individuals have a sense of control over how they live and work, they have more self-motivation and better mental health. When they don’t have much autonomy, they feel stifled and frustrated. They experience little job satisfaction resulting in less motivation, higher absenteeism, poorer health, and reduced productivity. 


Autocratic managers tend to cause more problems than they solve. How long will organizations and society put up with the economic and human toll of ineffective people management practices?


Management skills that empower, encourage, and engage the workforce can be learned. When will you and your organization make it a priority to invest in equipping managers to develop healthy, high performing individuals and teams?


There are few investments that yield a higher ROI than equipping leaders to support their team members for success. When will you invest in sharpening the people leadership skills in your organization?



To learn more about affordable ways to equip your leaders to serve the needs of your employees and increase productivity, contact Cathie Leimbach at cathie@agonleadership.com or 440-320-3113. 



Build Thinkers, Not Followers

By Cathie Leimbach • September 2, 2026
Many leaders don't set out to become the answer to every question. It happens gradually. Someone asks their leader how to do it because it's faster than figuring it out. Another employee waits because they don't want to make the wrong decision. Before long, you're answering questions your team should be able to answer on their own. The good news is that you don't have to be the answer to every question. You can build a team that thinks, solves problems, and takes ownership without you giving up appropriate control. Here are a few places to start: Ask Before You Answer When someone brings you a problem, don't start by giving them the solution. Instead, ask:  What do you think? What options have you considered? What would you do if I wasn't here? People grow when they think through problems—not when someone else thinks for them. Let Small Decisions Stay Small. Not every decision needs your approval. Look for low-risk opportunities where employees or supervisors can tell the employee to make the call themselves. Confidence grows with experience. Praise Initiative, Even When It's Imperfect. If people believe they'll be criticized every time they make a decision, they'll stop making them. When someone takes ownership, recognize their initiative. Coaching them to make a better decision is easier in the long run than making every decision yourself. Notice the Questions That Keep Coming Back. If you're answering the same questions week after week, don't just answer them faster. Ask why they're still being asked. The issue may not be your people. It may be an unclear expectation, an inconsistent process, lack of training, or a conversation that never happened. Helping people think for themselves doesn't happen in one meeting. It happens through dozens of everyday collaborative conversations that gradually build confidence, judgment, and ownership. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ You don't have to figure it all out alone. Bring your workplace people challenges to the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic September 21. Join Cathie Leimbach and other leaders for a practical conversation about the people challenges you're facing—and leave with fresh perspectives you can put to work. Register HERE

When the Boss "Bosses People Around"

By Cathie Leimbach • August 25, 2026
This probably isn't the company you imagined building. You wanted a team that solved problems, took ownership, and helped move the business forward. Instead, somewhere along the way, you became the person who answers every question, makes every decision, and tells everyone what to do. The interruptions never end. Every day starts with a plan and ends with another list of problems that somehow became yours to solve. You work harder than ever yet still feel like you're falling behind. Another good employee resigns. Another supervisor struggles. Another improvement initiative loses momentum. You leave work mentally exhausted, wondering why everyone seems busy—but so little actually changes. Your employees feel it, too. When people learn that every decision runs through the boss, they eventually stop making decisions of their own. When leaders spend most of their time directing every task, correcting every mistake, and solving every problem, people gradually stop thinking for themselves. They become cautious instead of confident. They stop offering ideas because they're not sure anyone wants to hear them. Ownership fades. Enthusiasm disappears. The culture slowly shifts from people wanting to contribute to people simply trying to get through the day. Ironically, the more a boss has to boss people around, the less ownership employees take. Before long, leaders become firefighters instead of business builders. Instead of building the company they envisioned, they're simply trying to survive another week. The surprising news is that this cycle usually isn't caused by a lack of effort. The frustrating part is that working harder rarely fixes it. In fact, the harder many leaders push, the more dependent their people become. What feels like the solution often becomes part of the problem. Talking through your leadership challenges with others can be helpful. Ask questions of your network. Get some ideas online. Sometimes another perspective helps you see what your organizational chart or production reports don't. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ You don't have to figure it all out alone. Bring your workplace people challenges to the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic September 21. Join Cathie Leimbach and other leaders for a practical conversation about the people challenges you're facing—and leave with fresh perspectives you can put to work. Register Here