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Category: Business Management (/browse/Articles/business-management)

5 Types of Leaders: What's Your Management Style?

By: Jaimy Ford (/profile/JaimyFord)

Thursday, May 29, 2014

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If you asked 10 entrepreneurs about which management

(http://www.docstoc.com/course/82/improving-your-management-skills) style they
found the most effective, youd likely come back with 10 distinct answers, each as unique
as the entrepreneur that provided them. While no one management style is ideal or
applicable to every business, its important to be mindful of what management style is
used in yours. Identifying your management style means taking inventory of how you
approach your business, especially in regards to employee interaction
(http://www.docstoc.com/article/165389561/Building-a-Great-Company-CultureWithout-Forcing-It) and crisis management. Knowing your management type can help
you change it if necessary, as certain circumstances may call for such a shift.
Below we discuss five of the most common types of managers. While most entrepreneurs
might relate to one type, the ideal manager should be able to move from one to another
as the situation warrants. Keep reading to learn which style is right for specific situations
and when you should set some of your managerial habits aside and adopt a different one.

The Dictator

The Dangers of Micromanaging:

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Dictators make all decisions (http://www.docstoc.com/video/147141524/Strategy-Howto-Make-the-Right-Business-Decisions), basing them on what they feel is best for the
business. Rarely will they ask for input from their employees, and they may or may not
make final decisions with their employees in mind. They will usually "go it alone" when
establishing new product lines (http://www.docstoc.com/course/57/create-and-sell-aphysical-product), creating partnerships
(http://www.docstoc.com/article/165394472/Developing-the-Right-B2B-Partnerships)
or considering new ventures (http://www.docstoc.com/article/161328313/How-toForm-a-Joint-Venture) without consulting others in the organization. Dictators largely
rely on their own experiences and knowledge to set agendas they feel best answer their
business needs.
When being a dictator works: If you are faced with an immediate crisis or other urgent
business matter, you will often need to step up and make the decision that is in the best
interest of the business without consulting your team first. Sometimes quick action is
critical, and asking everyone to weigh in or come up with solutions could waste precious
time you just don't have.
When being a dictator may not work: While this management style often leads to efficient
business operations because only one person is involved in the decision making, it can
also lead to costly oversights and mistakes that wouldn't have occurred had frontline
employees been consulted. Managers and executives, no matter how smart or wellreasoned their decisions, are still susceptible to errors in judgment.

The Collaborator

Collaborative managers are conscious of their entire organization and acknowledge the
utility of feedback from employees, investors
(http://www.docstoc.com/article/165398887/What-Investors-Are-Really-Looking-For),
partners and vendors used to reach business objectives. Collaborators will regularly call

meetings (http://www.docstoc.com/article/161899070/The-Importance-of-CorporateMeeting-Notices-and-Minutes) to brainstorm ideas

(http://www.docstoc.com/article/163096121/Strategies-for-Business-Ideation-andBrainstorming). They compel employees to offer feedback on business proposals and may
even go as far as designating a devil's advocate to pinpoint problems with a plan.
When being a collaborator works: Involving employees in the decision-making process is
almost always a good idea because you benefit from insight gleaned from different
perspectives. Collaboration also boosts employee morale
(http://www.docstoc.com/article/170574142/10-Ways-to-Boost-Employee-Morale), as
employees feel valued because their ideas are requested and respected. This also
provides employees with a real sense of commitment to projects they are actively
involved in. Its also a great strategy when time is abundant, giving you plenty of time to
hash out ideas. Just be sure you aren't using collaboration to stall when you are pressed
to make an important decision.
When being a collaborator may not work: Collaborators can often be seen as indecisive or
even weak because they spend so much time talking about ideas and not enough time
executing them. Employees can become frustrated if all the discussion leads to nowhere.
Also, beware of instances where an employee may not have enough knowledge about
project details to provide relevant or useful advice. Bad advice can be costlier than no
advice at all.

The Micromanager

Micromanagers (http://www.docstoc.com/article/164366484/The-Dangers-ofMicromanaging-When-to-Delegate) need to control everything and feel its necessary to

constantly be in the loop, even in seemingly trivial discussions. They check in with
employees too frequently and expect constant updates on the status of projects. They
operate with the expectation that each employee must complete every assignment
exactly as the micromanager would. Employees have little freedom to be creative or to
use their own intuition and knowledge to solve problems.
When being a micromanager works: When you have just hired a new employee, or you are
trying to turn around the performance of a struggling employee, watching them closely is
ideal. You want to ensure that they are on the right track and help them overcome any
challenges before they exacerbate. Another time to micromanage is when you must
follow specific rules or guidelines for regulatory, legal or compliance issues. Remember to
let employees know that your constant attention is to ensure compliance and does not
reflect a lack of trust in them or their abilities.
When being a micromanager may not work: As a result of working under constant dictation,
employees may feel boxed in and controlled. This can have an extremely detrimental
effect on morale, which increases turnover
(http://www.docstoc.com/article/81744464/Why-Employees-Quit) and breeds
dissatisfaction (http://www.docstoc.com/article/166686311/Symptoms-of-Employee-

Dissatisfaction-to-Look-Out-For). For those employees who have proved their

competence and trustworthiness, ease up and give them the space to do their jobs the
way they see fit.

The Delegator

Delegators take a hands-off approach and allow their employees to run the business.
They divide and make assignments based on whom they think can best handle a given
task, and they spend the bulk of their time generating new business and crafting longterm strategy instead of focusing on the minutiae of business operations. Because they
have built a strong team trusted with managing the business, they can focus on
generating revenue. Employees may also feel affirmed by the confidence shown in their
ability by trusting them with these operations, which increases their commitment to the
business.
When being a delegator works: If you have enough competent staff, it's almost always a
win-win situation to delegate work to employees
(http://www.docstoc.com/article/79359176/Admitting-Its-Time-to-Delegate). Just be
sure to regularly consult with employees about their workload and regularly confirm
their comfort level before you unload new assignments on them. Also, be sure to step in
from time to time to cover the grunt work and to show employees that you are still part of
the team. Finally, make certain that employees fully understand how the work you do
each day contributes to the bottom line.
When being a delegator may not work: Problems occur if there aren't enough employees to
cover all the work, and employees become resentful as they struggle while the boss is out
entertaining clients with golf, sporting events and lunches. It can also be extremely
upsetting for hardworking employees to not get any credit for delegated work they
completed; as such, be sure to always acknowledge all contributors when projects are
successfully finished. And even though you may have a pool of employees to delegate to,
they may not yet have the skills to handle that type of work. If possible, take time to train
your potential delegate on the finer points of the job to ensure its done right.

The Coach

Coaching managers
(http://www.associationforcoaching.com/media/uploads/accreditationdocumentation01/Becoming_a_Business_Coach.pdf) believe in a team-oriented
atmosphere, where everyone contributes to the goals of the business. Because of that,
coaches are committed to training employees and providing regular and frequent
feedback. They praise employees when they deserve it and constructively correct them
when they slip up. Much like the collaborator, they believe everyone should provide input
and be involved in decisions that affect the team. Employees typically feel a great deal of
loyalty to managers who invest so much time and effort in helping them succeed.
When being a coach works: Effective coaching of all of your employees helps them grow
and advance their careers. However, don't forget to acknowledge your best employees.
Rewarding employees who deserve it sets an example and motivates underperformers. It
also drives friendly competition that can raise everyone's performance.
When being a coach may not work: Because coaches want everyone to succeed, they'll
often treat their lowest performers the same way they treat their stars. Top performers
could resent that their outstanding efforts aren't setting them apart from the rest of the
team, and they might either begin to perform at an average level or take their talents
elsewhere, which can bring down productivity. Conversely, lower-performing employees
might begin to see their subpar performance as adequate, which stifles productivity even
further. If this is the case, make sure to temper your encouragement with pragmatism by
specifying where an employee may need to improve.

Conclusion
Determining your management style is the first step to understanding its impact on your
business. Knowing your management approach helps you recognize your organizations
strengths as well as highlight its areas for improvement in whatever situation may arise.
Its also worth noting that no one style is set in stone, and managers should feel free to
implement and test a given style as they see fit.
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