Years and years ago, I worked in an office that was ruled by a middle manager whose management style was excessively authoritarian. This was back when I had little experience comparison-wise and naively believed this was the norm. People getting shouted at in full view of the rest of staff, being publicly called out for the smallest of errors and borderline threatened into getting more out of their workforce. I reflect on this and shudder, how on earth they believed they were getting the best out of people, I have no idea. It’s no wonder staff turnaround was so high, people were spending the best part of their week in a highly toxic environment that was managed by one power mad, unapproachable, and unreasonable personality.
There are fine lines between micromanagement and the array of different management styles. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are good management styles that are highly effective, but I do believe that the best management style is that of a leader. Leadership involves guiding a team with vision and inspiration, emphasising empowerment and creativity. Management focuses on organisation and task execution. Leadership-driven businesses prioritise employee growth and purpose, fostering engagement and autonomy, resulting in happier workforces due to a sense of meaning and personal development.
Let’s touch upon some of the negative management styles...
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Micromanagement: In this style, managers excessively control and oversee every aspect of their employees' work, stifling creativity, and autonomy, leading to demotivation and frustration.
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Authoritarian Management: Authoritarian managers make decisions without input, enforce strict rules, and discourage open communication. This can lead to a lack of collaboration, fear among employees, and limited innovation.
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Laissez-Faire Management: This hands-off approach involves minimal guidance and involvement from managers. Whilst this style can foster independence, it may also result in confusion, lack of direction, and reduced accountability among employees.
And now for the effective management styles…
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Transformational Leadership: Managers inspire and motivate employees through a compelling vision, fostering creativity and commitment. They encourage growth, empower individuals, and promote a collaborative environment.
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Servant Leadership: This approach prioritizes the well-being of employees. Managers support their team members, remove obstacles, and ensure their needs are met, leading to higher job satisfaction and productivity.
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Democratic/Participative Management: Managers involve employees in decision-making, valuing their input and diverse perspectives. This fosters a sense of ownership, engagement, and innovation within the team.
Even just reading these, I am smiling!
How do you adopt and encourage leadership style management?
To foster leadership-focused management, there are lots of amazing things that businesses can do. You can offer training in communication and emotional intelligence – a lot of the old-school management styles severely lack in demonstrating great communication, and emotional intelligence often doesn’t even come into it. Promoting emotional intelligence from the top down is always the best way – if you’re leading by example, your managers will follow the precedent that you set.
Encouraging open dialogue, delegating responsibilities, and recognising contributions cultivates a culture of empowerment and innovation. This approach promotes effective leadership at all levels of your organisation, driving growth and success. Having open dialogue gives your staff the reassurance that their thoughts and opinions matter and that they can share them – this is called a “feedback culture”.
Everyone loves to be recognised for their efforts and successes, and a sign of a great leader is to be crediting great work where its due. There are lots of ways to do this, no matter how small or large your business is. It’s not about the money spent, it’s about the act of acknowledgement. Something as small as an all-staff email to say ‘well done and thank you’ when a project completes, a deal goes through, a target is hit or whatever it may be, goes a long way to boosting morale and putting a spring in someone’s step.
To sum up
A leadership-style management approach combines the strengths of both leadership and management, fostering a more holistic and adaptable way of leading. This approach encourages employee empowerment, innovation, and collaboration while maintaining efficient task execution. It creates a positive work environment that values growth, communication, and shared vision, ultimately leading to higher employee satisfaction, improved performance, and long-term organisational success.