Authoritative Leadership: Definition, Pros, and Cons - Work Life by Atlassian…

Authoritative Leadership: Definition, Pros, and Cons - Work Life by Atlassian

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.’”