6 Reasons Your Team Needs a Leader and Not a Dictator

Leadership is the heart and soul of every team in an organization. As a leader, one must know how to push their teams towards the completion of projects while keeping their morale high. Often, leaders cross their boundaries in this rat race and follow an authoritative leadership strategy to ensure high success rates. In this modern era, while every organization thrives for success, having a dictatorial leader can sometimes be a curse for the company. With the changing market trend, employees under an authoritative leadership style are more likely to switch to a competitor firm, resulting in a loss of skilled manpower for their organization. In this article, we shall look into why your team needs a leader and not a dictator.

Leadership vs. Dictatorship

Leadership and dictatorship are often viewed as the same in terms of managing a team. There exists a thin line that differentiates dictatorship from leadership. Dictatorship allows you to push your team, keeping in mind their best interests while micromanaging them. Leadership, on the other hand, entails being a team ally. A leader always inspires their team to grow and motivates them towards the achievement of their personal and organizational objectives.

From a company’s perspective, authoritarian leadership might seem healthy as it allows the subordinates to work under a constant control process. Although, from a larger point of view, there are several reasons why dictatorship is not the ideal way to manage a team.

Six Reasons Why Your Team Needs a Leader and Not A Dictator

1. To Bring Out The Full Potential Of The Team

A leader is responsible for thinking about the well-being of their team before anything else. Though they are entitled to report to their senior management about the progress of their teams, it is not possible without keeping their teams happy. A dictator always looks at the end goal without considering the thoughts of their subordinates. A leader always allows their team to voice their opinions and considers everyone when making decisions. Having a leader rather than a dictator makes a team feel valued and allows them to contribute fully. A leader also takes responsibility for the mistakes of their subordinates and shares the credit with their team for every achievement that they make. Such behaviors empower the team and bring out their full potential during a project.

2. To Lead a Team By Example

Stewardship is a commonly known practice of leading a team by example. Subordinates respect their superiors only when they realize the skills possessed by their leaders. A dictator’s role is to divide the tasks and run a tight ship around their team until the said tasks are completed. A leader always believes in leading by example. They take responsibility for their actions and always guide their team toward the right path of success. A leader always keeps their door open for their employees and never lets them feel unapproachable. This guidance instills respect for the leader among their subordinates. Such a subordinate who respects their leader is bound to go the extra mile for them.

3. To Provide a Team With The Mentorship They Need

A superior is expected to coach their team about the right ways of performing a task. Under a dictatorship, a team is penalized for their wrongdoings. This approach towards the subordinates does not give them a chance to learn from their past mistakes. Leadership is necessary to provide a team with the required mentorship. A leader always teaches their team about their projects and allows them to learn from their mistakes. They encourage their subordinates to make mistakes and learn from their mistakes. Subordinates under leadership are not afraid of exploring new opportunities due to a lack of skills. It allows the employees to learn from their superiors’ experiences and implement the learnings in their lives.

4. To Create a Bond Within the Team

An organization’s success lies in the teams that work together and complement each other’s strengths. Often, teams have a clash of opinions that leads to distrust and poor communication. A dictator is not involved in maintaining harmony within the team. This is where a leader comes into the picture. Leaders are responsible for fostering camaraderie and harmony among their team members. A leader always ensures team-building exercises are a part of their routine to ensure their subordinates are getting along. The success rate of such teams increases drastically as compared to those under dictatorial leadership.

5. To Hone the Decision-Making Skills Of The Team

The enhancement of a subordinate’s skills depends on the approach taken by their superior in guiding them. A dictator is a sole decision-maker in a team. They do not involve their subordinates in the process of decision-making. Subordinates in a dictatorship are expected to do as their superiors command. This creates a dependency on the team's manager and does not give them a window to learn decision-making. Leadership is required to hone the decision-making skills of a team. A leader reduces this dependency and allows them to get involved in the decision-making process. It helps their team understand how business decisions are made. In the absence of a leader, these subordinates can take decisions that are beneficial to the business.

6. To Maintain the Well-Being Of The Employees

The well-being of the employees is the biggest asset to any organization. Most dictators are prone to prioritizing work and forgetting to look after the well-being of their employees. This culture overwhelms their employees with tasks and leads to low morale. A leader is required on every team to keep their subordinates’ morale high. Leaders often plan fun activities such as team outings and entertaining sessions once in a while. Such activities help the employees take a break from their routine tasks and relax with their teammates. The thoughtfulness behind such tasks keeps the employees satisfied with their work and committed to the goals.

Conclusion

Simple shifts in the attitude of supervisors can turn them from dictators to leaders. Leadership looks at the bigger goals of the company, while dictatorship only focuses on the immediate and actionable. Being a leader not only ensures that you complete your tasks, but it also earns you the trust and respect of your subordinates. Subordinates who bond well with their leaders are a boon to any organization.