Many management styles are closely related to the management skill of the individual. The management style embodies the values, beliefs and traits of the leader. Different styles are needed to handle different situations and a leader should know which style best suits his situation. It is the management strategy that determines the management style.

 

Let’s discuss 8 popular management styles and how they reflect in their employees

Democratic Management 

I have to say that this management style is undoubtedly the most popular management style from the perspective of employees.

 

It increases their job satisfaction and develops a sense of personal growth. It also yields an exceptional work quality and improved employee morale by allowing them to accomplish their goals, without micromanagement.

Autocratic Management 

Autocratic management is an interesting style, where the manager retains as much of her power as possible. It involves decision making and passing them to the subordinates. 

 

Employees are expected to follow the orders without soliciting any explanations, which can dissuade them. Employees have little opportunity to give suggestions even if it is for the welfare of the organization.. On the other hand, it could prove effective to train new employees who do not know the policies and procedures.

Transactional Management

This type of management style largely involves implementing managerial activities, and begins with the old school belief that employees will always abide by their leader, no matter the situation. 

 

In a transactional style of leadership, the designated leaders have the right to punish the team members if they find their performance is not to the right expectations of the organisation.

Charismatic Management

Charismatic leaders gather subordinates by virtue of their personality and charm. They do not use authority to force subordinates to obey their orders, rather they rely on their exceptional persuasive skills to motivate and engage their employees.

 

The presence of the leader, the way he handles things can be seen as success in the eyes of the subordinates. Thus a charismatic leader carries plenty of the responsibility to satisfy the demands of his subordinates.

Bureaucratic Management 

A frustrating style of management, the bureaucratic manager governs purely by the “rule book”, strictly sticking to the company rules, policies and procedures. Managers expect the same from their employees. 

 

You will often find that the restraint and discipline enforced can curtail the teams freedom and creativity. 

Laissez-Faire Management

Laissez-Faire literally means “to leave alone to act freely”. In this style of management, the managers provide little or no direction to the employees. 

 

This sort of management style is applicable for highly experienced employees and also for employees working in a technology team like that of an employee pulse survey startup. This situation means that employees and they enjoy the maximum freedom. As they will determine their own goals, making decisions and resolving problems along the way with minimal interference.

Transformational Management

The only difference between transactional and charismatic leadership, lies in the fact that the transformational leader focuses on transforming an entire business whereas charismatic leaders tend to actually not change anything. 

 

Transformational leaders understand the strengths and weaknesses of her team well, and she will assign tasks that optimize their performance. You will find that transformational managers tend to encourage a lot of enthusiasm in their teams by adding value with positive contribution. 

Servant Management

In the servant management style, leaders flip the organisation chart in a way, and achieve results by focusing on the needs of their underlings and peers.

 

They would rather look at the needs of their people and focus on solving their employees issues and problems, whilst fostering personal development among the team.

Summary

At the end of the day, a leader’s true strength lies in their ability to switch between the eight different management styles above, depending on the situation and the people they lead. 

 

In the long run, leaders are recognized and remembered by their capacity to care for their subordinates, their communication skills and their commitment to the cause.