An autocratic leader in business terms is a person who keeps most or all of the key authority for themself. They are very dictatorial or authoritarian and tell their employees exactly what to do. They tend not to delegate very much or share information willingly with their subordinates, and they 'assume responsibility for all operational aspects'.[1] An economic recession seen through the cycle of an individual business can follow this process; falling sales, intense awareness of competitors, customers becoming very price sensitive, a cut in output, making workers redundant, not implementing expansion plans, postponing capital investment and cutting under-used capital equipment.
Efficiency is a quality inherent in a successful autocrat. They will, in a recession, exploit all the resources available with no sentimentality, and as a leader they will have insured there is a minimal level of bureaucracy and middle management tiers to interfere with this. There is likely to be a high output per worker and a low level of cost per business unit output.
Russia_2519 - Start of the end of Russian autocrac...
Amstrad CPC 464 computer (1984)
English: Country Pine Quality Furniture - Huddersf...Overall, the efficiency of the autocrat will be vital in streamlining operations during a recession.
Quick decisions are needed in every size of business at one time or another. Seeing a market gap or spotting a take-over opportunity are areas where this is especially relevant, the autocratic leader in a time of economic downturn can use their attributes very profitably here. Being in some ways both a gambler and a dictator by nature, they will back their own judgement and impose their will on their employees. They will often follow their hunches, and although this has inherent risks, the opportunities that are open in a recession can lead to them successfully exploiting their rivals' weaknesses through being confident enough to aggressively move in on their market share or even launch a take-over bid. Also,