Different Management Styles: What’s Your Management Style?

Great managers must supervise, inspire, and empower their teams – all at once.

For better or worse, effective management is not an exact science – it’s more of an art form. Sure, studied techniques can be applied, but inevitably, they vary depending on the project, team, individual, and task.

In other words, one size does not fit all. Limiting yourself to a single approach can limit your growth and impede your team’s success. The best way to mitigate this possibility is by learning about the different styles of management, and (slowly but surely) starting to implement them. Knowledge of different management styles can be applied to team evaluations, organizational culture, and business operations, to fit a range of scenarios.

So, what are some different styles of management? Let’s review:

1. Participative
   A participative management style is best when employee input is helpful for making decisions. Here, managers collect employee ideas – leveraging their unique perspectives to help determine the best path forward. This approach often brings leaders closer to their team, and perhaps most importantly, it tends to improve employee job satisfaction.
2. Authoritative
   An authoritative management style is ideal when your team requires more discipline and direction than usual. Authoritative leaders take action and control decisions within the team. This style offers the benefits of structure, task oversight, and can result in faster completion of urgent projects.
3. Coaching
   A coaching management style is focused on improving employee professional development. Coaching managers look out for their employees, lead them along, and help them develop skills that will help in their future careers. This type of leader is all about being inspirative, collaborative and motivational.
4. Transformational
   Are you in a continuously evolving industry? If so, a transformational management style might be right for you. Transformational managers believe in organizational change and growth, and are not afraid of challenging boundaries. These types of leaders know how to help employees adapt to drastic changes.
5. Visionary
   A visionary management style is focused on the overall mission of their organization. These managers tend to spend less time on day-to-day tasks, trusting that their team is up for the challenge. Visionary managers ensure everyone is working towards broader company goals by aligning their team’s objectives with those of the company.

Taking some time to get to know your team will help you choose the right management style for any given situation. Don’t forget – you are not committed to a single type of management style throughout your career. Instead, test and combine various styles to create your own style. It should fit elements of your personality, along with your team needs!