For most careers, managers are the first front-liners you encounter that will either make you love or hate your job. There’s a multitude of management styles that work differently depending on the business, teams, and managers themselves. It’s important to know about the various ways to direct and support team members and resolve conflicts.
Yes, managers want the job done, but they shouldn’t be the evil incarnated. Each style produces different results and has admirable qualities. Check out this overview of the best leadership styles to strive for employees to enjoy working with.
Top Management Styles: Visionary
Starting off strong, this type of management style is probably one of the hardest to pull off. Not only does it take a great deal of persuasive competency, but perseverance too, as this manager has to convince his/her employees of the big picture, the purpose of their vision, and inspire them to work towards the same goal.
Visionary managers are not about poems and unattainable goals, they are also firm yet fair. Because they have a big goal in mind, they’re known for their listening skills and willingness to change their plan if a great idea is presented.
To better execute their vision, visionary managers give a lot of feedback to their employees about their performance and praise them when their performance meets or exceeds expectations.
Coaching Management Style
When we talk about coaching out of the various management styles, we talk about how these types of managers aim to improve their employees’ long-term professional development. They have a passion for teaching and watching their employees grow. Their characteristics are often patience and motivation. These types of managers work wonders with beginners and interns just starting their careers. By constantly teaching them new things and offering career opportunities, coaches can build strong bonds with them.
Moreover, leaders with this style can be spotted right away: if they oversee employees’ individual development and if they can read personalities that clash or click together in order to build a homogeneous team that performs better with time and experience.
Laisser-Faire Managers
A tricky one and a very controversial management style, the laissez-faire managers monitor without micromanaging or directly interfering. They’re known to have high expectations without constantly checking in with their employees. Some might argue that this leadership style can often lead to a mess, especially if mistakes happen along the way; however, a good manager adopting this still will know when not if they interfere or guide the team back on the right track.
In fact, employees led by laissez-faire managers hold all the decision-making authority, and this responsibility will create just the right amount of pressure for them to focus more and pay attention to details because the success or failure of the team lies on their shoulders. In this case, they’ll feel confident enough to as guidance when they need help because the trust was already there.
Affiliative Manager
The motto of this manager is: employees come first. They focus on keeping the team happy and consider themselves a part of the team and not one step above it. With a high EQ, they have the ability to solve conflicts, rebuild trust, and bring together the team during stressful times.
This being said, even if they are known to be more flexible than other types of leaders, they still weigh in better options while maintaining boundaries. And because their communication helps reduce workplace stress and creates overall harmony, employees will gain a sense of belonging and become motivated to perform better and on time.
Saving the Best for Last… YOU
Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, aiming for a leadership position, or want to remain far from the spotlight, there will come a time in your career when you have to step up and make a decision that will affect you and your team. With experience, time, and time, you’ll unravel the management style that suits you best. You will skew towards a style more than another, but with your character, personality traits, and soft skills that you’ve acquired early on from business school, you’ll be the best version of yourself and of the leader, everyone aspired to become.
Where to start?
It’s not only about learning management but becoming it.
EMLV’s Master in Management programme is adapted to ever-changing economic trends in order to ensure that students are taught the latest, most up-to-date skills and knowledge. Major courses take into account company and job market needs and are all entryways into the student’s desired professional occupation. Not only that, but the projects, courses, case studies, and eventually internships, will allow you to explore different styles of management that are flexible to the sector, teams, and values of the business, after all, each work condition and context require a different management style.
It’s not a one-size-fits-all. Where do you see yourself?