Those who believe that countries should be run like businesses may be surprised to find that the approaches of politicians and business leaders today are worlds apart. Yet both must navigate the same unpredictable, ever-changing world. Discover where the difference lies between the leadership styles of governments and those of corporate leaders.
The directive, authoritarian leadership style under which our grandparents worked is not as distant a memory as we might think. Today’s political landscape looks back on that authority with longing eyes and draws inspiration from it—something that often happens in turbulent times.
But is authoritarian leadership truly an effective way to deal with conflict and uncertainty? Occasionally, perhaps. But these rare successes are often little more than coincidence. Research on authoritarian regimes shows that, in most cases, they suffer significantly more losses than democratic ones. Moreover, authoritarian leaders have a strikingly negative impact on workplace morale, motivation, creativity, and performance.
While the corporate world grows increasingly democratic, politics seems to be rediscovering dominant leadership. The University of Gothenburg has raised the alarm. According to the V-Dem Institute, the number of people living under an autocratic regime has risen by 20% since 2003. Only 30% of the world today can still be classified as democratic. The United States is a prime example of this shift toward authoritarian leadership, but Europe has not remained untouched. The Netherlands, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Germany, and our own Flanders are all—in different ways—turning back to authoritarian leaders.
This opinion piece by Jochanan Eynikel and Karen Wouters was also published in De Tijd on February 1, 2025.
