{"id":5647,"date":"2019-10-25T05:10:20","date_gmt":"2019-10-25T10:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/?p=5647"},"modified":"2019-10-24T09:14:05","modified_gmt":"2019-10-24T14:14:05","slug":"how-to-transform-your-management-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flevy.com\/blog\/how-to-transform-your-management-style\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Transform Your Management Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Are you finding that your current management style isn\u2019t working as effectively as it should? Your style of management doesn\u2019t have to be fixed in place, and if a positive change is needed, then there are effective ways to go about this without affecting the overall health of your organization or the wellbeing of your staff.<\/p>\n

What kind of management style do you have?<\/h2>\n

Before we look at how to change, let\u2019s explore the different management styles so you can identify what kind of manager you currently are. There are lots of different styles and opinions about what an effective technique might look like (and what might be an interesting catalyst for change<\/a>), and it can even change by industry type<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Autocratic<\/strong>: <\/strong>A dictatorial style (sometimes called Authoritarian); an autocratic leader is not especially collaborative, shows little empathy, and often overlooks effective communication. Staff under this sort of leadership will often feel undervalued, making high staff turnover not unusual.<\/p>\n

Paternalistic<\/strong>: <\/strong>Not dissimilar to an autocratic model, paternalistic management styles can be equally self-serving but have a stronger consideration for the value and feelings of staff members.<\/p>\n

Democratic<\/strong>: <\/strong>A far flatter management style than the previous two, a democratic management style will offer the whole team the opportunity to determine outcomes and be involved across a wide range of decision making. While this can promote good relations and leave employees feeling valued, without due consideration, an inexperienced team might not make the most productive overall decision. A good balance of experience and democracy is essential here.<\/p>\n

Laissez-Faire<\/strong>: <\/strong>At the other end of the leadership scale, this style is very hands-off and leaves the big decision making to the team. In a team of highly experienced employees, this style can be extremely productive, but without that experience, disaster can often lurk around the corner.<\/p>\n

Servant Leadership<\/strong>: <\/strong>Made popular by Robert Greenleaf\u2019s 1970 essay \u201cThe Servant as a Leader,\u201d this style of management takes the focus away from the business and firmly on the needs of employees. This style is all about leveraging the necessary expertise in a business to generate better productivity.<\/p>\n

Defining the change<\/h2>\n

Once you have identified your leadership style, it\u2019s time to ask a few questions to determine what sort of change will be required to make a positive outcome.<\/p>\n