Six Common Types of Management Styles
What makes a good manager, boss, or leader? Anyone who has already worked with a couple of different managers will know that there is no straightforward answer to this question. Management styles can differ significantly from each other. While one relies on communication on an equal footing, the other exudes a high degree of charisma just due to their presence.
One management style is not necessarily better or worse than the other. You can lead a team in different ways. This article explores the 6 most common leadership styles and examines which qualities a manager should bring to the table. What type of leadership style is yours?
Definition: What is a Management & Leadership Styles ?
A management style describes the behaviour pattern of superiors towards employees who are in lower professional positions. This includes the behaviour towards individual employees or groups of employees and the procedures in everyday professional life.
The leadership styles in a company are an essential part of human resource management and say a lot about the corporate culture of a company. How a manager behaves towards their employees is usually related to the manager’s personality and the type of company. After all, startups tend to be must more relaxed in their managerial style than big corporations. However, this does not mean that managerial skills cannot be learned and improved upon.
What Significance Does the Type of Leadership Have in Organisations?
As an essential part of human resource management, the leadership style affects many areas in the company:
Work atmosphere
Employer image and employer attractiveness
Staff turnover
Reviews in employer review portals and the number of incoming applications
Employee motivation and satisfaction
The style of management is an influential part of everyday work and thus can correlate with the company’s success. Ineffective management styles will never result in high employee motivation.
The willingness to perform also decreases with dissatisfied employees. As a result, you’ll not be getting the results you want with your team. A good management style ensures that employees enjoy their job and are ready to achieve a lot. If you find that the leadership style you or your employees have followed so far is not achieving the desired results, you should continue reading.
Find out more about the team management skills that every effective leader should possess.
Types of Management & Leadership Styles
As mentioned earlier, there are several different management styles. A distinction is made between different models. Those according to Max Weber and Kurt Lewin are among the classic models of personnel management. Weber’s models are divided into autocratic, patriarchal, charismatic, and bureaucratic leadership. Kurt Lewin’s models differentiate between authoritarian, cooperative, democratic, and laissez-faire leadership.
Authoritarian or Autocratic Management Styles
The autocratic management style is pretty straightforward. Here, important decisions are the sole responsibility of the manager. Employees are not involved in the decision-making process and have to implement requirements according to their manager’s demands.
Advantages:
Helpful when needing to make quick decisions
Employees are not responsible for the decisions they make
Disadvantages:
Little space for appreciation
Leading to an unhealthy working atmosphere
No space for out-of-the-box ideas and innovations
Outdated
Patriarchal Management Style
The patriarchal leadership style is similar to the autocratic management style in terms of decision-making. However, the patriarchy in the company sees itself as a father figure who is aware of its responsibility for its employees. Patriarchs also make decisions in the interests of their employees. Managers are often older and more experienced than their employees.
Advantage:
Clear instructions and guidelines (see also micromanagement)
Greater efficiency
Productive environment
Direct communication style
Disadvantage:
Little room for new ideas and ways of thinking
No space for creativity
Low chances for participating in the decision-making process
Charismatic Management Style
Some people have a natural ability to inspire and motivate other people. People who possess charismatic leadership characteristics are mostly role models who can convey ideas and visions convincingly and charismatically. You are confident and articulate. Employees are given more responsibility, which enables them to work more independently.
Advantages:
High motivation
Strengthens employee motivation
Promotes employee loyalty
Employees can identify better with the company
Disadvantages:
Person-dependent, as charisma only arises when it is natural
Employees are easier to convince and more likely to be exploited
Bureaucratic Management Style
The bureaucratic leadership style already provides rules and procedures. This means that work processes are clearly defined and not prescribed by a single manager. Decisions are based on clear guidelines that employees and managers must adhere to. Supervisors are only specified for a certain period of time under this type of leadership style.
Advantages:
Clear instructions and regulated work processes
Low probability of making the wrong decision
Decisions are not made based on personal sympathy but based on given guidelines
Scaling the team is easier
Disadvantages:
Hardly any space for changes and ideas
Long decision-making paths
Small scope for decision-making
Demotivation on the part of both employees and superiors
Cooperative or Democratic Management Style
Managers and employees work in teams, which means that subordinate positions participate in decision-making. Ideas, but also criticism, can be expressed. Managers are responsible for delegating areas of responsibility and, above all, motivating employees. Personal responsibility and self-sufficient work are welcome under this leadership style.
Advantages:
Decision-making power does not rest solely with the superiors, which relieves them of additional responsibility.
Strengthens employee motivation
Strengthens the employees’ sense of responsibility
Promotes creativity and innovation
Gets good results overall
Disadvantages:
The likelihood of losing control increases if superiors cannot assert themselves
Longer decision-making processes through discussions
Increased risk of competitive thinking among employees
If this is a style you like but feel like you could improve, read more about team management and why it is crucial for any company.
Laissez-faire Management Style
Under the laissez-faire management style, employees have a vast range of options. You make decisions in a team without the necessary approval from your supervisor. The distribution of tasks is also in the hands of the employees. Superiors only intervene if serious problems arise.
Advantages:
Promotes creativity and the development of new ideas
Employee motivation
Encourages ownership and responsibility
Eliminates micro-management
Disadvantages:
Not every employee can deal with too much freedom
Possible loss of control
Increased risk of competition
Lack of communication
Unclear procedures
Find Out Your Management Style
Of course, these leadership styles vary depending on the industry and the task at hand. Therefore, the very best managers tend to combine elements of different management styles.
Now it’s your turn! Which management style applies to you? Or are you a mix of different types? To find out your leadership style, you need to be honest with yourself and ask yourself critical questions.
Self-Check: What Is Your Leadership Style?
To analyse what is your management style, observe your behaviour towards employees and see if you empower them. An analysis of your behaviour towards friends, family, and acquaintances can also help determine what type of leadership you belong to. We suggest you start with a simple self-assessment:
How do you make decisions?
How do you go about giving feedback to employees (criticism, appreciation, and praise)?
What do you do to motivate your employees?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
How would you describe and rate your leadership style ?
How would you rate your communication skills?
Who are your role models? What are their characteristics?
How do you deal with stress?
Are you wondering which management style you have? Try this simple quiz containing 12 statements based on Kurt Lewin’s leadership style framework. It will help you determine into which leadership category you fall into, providing you with the opportunity to improve on the skills you lack.
Are you considering finding out about the different leadership styles in your company? An employee performance review is a great place to start. It allows you to determine the strengths and weaknesses of your employees to organise training that will help them improve on the skills they lack. If you’re not signed up with Factorial just yet, you can use our 360-degree performance assessment template for free!
What is Your Management Style? Best Answers (+10 Examples)
The interviewer asks, "What is your management style?" And you think, “What is my management style? I don’t know. Good cop, bad cop?”
Wait a minute. Why should you care about common interview questions for managers? You’re not applying for a management position.
Even if you’re not interviewing to be a manager, you might get this question. This article will tell you why and how to prepare for it.
You will find out:
Why interviewers ask, “What is your management style?”
How to prepare for leadership questions regardless of your experience.
How to answer the “what is your management style” interview question.
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If you are looking for more behavioral questions check: Interview Behavioral Questions and Answers.
1 “What is Your Management Style?” - What Is the Interviewer Asking?
The first thing you should know is that there is a “right answer” to the “what is your management style” question.
That’s because this is what’s known as a “behavioral” interview question. And to deliver a correct response to a such a question you need to give an example of past behavior.
So, when the interviewer asks you to describe your leadership style what do they want?
That’s right! They want a brief success story about a time when you led or managed a person or team.
right Tell a story about a time when you were a successful leader. Once, I had to finish a project with a tight deadline while shorthanded. The first order of business was to redistribute the workload. I held a meeting, and we mapped out the project. I asked for volunteers to take on the extra tasks, after delegating most of them to myself. I opted for a pace-setting managerial style. I set a fast pace, taking work from team members who couldn't perform and assigning it to others. We finished the project in a state of exhaustion. But the team admired the fact that I rolled up my sleeves and joined them. My supervisor asked me to turn the experience into a workshop for others. Later, the project won an industry award that made the team very proud. To tell her success story, the candidate used the STAR method. STAR stands for Situation/Task/Action/Result. Your “what is your management style” example should also include all three. More on that later. wrong Say that you don’t have experience, but you’re sure you’d do fine. I’ve never actually managed a team for a job before. But I’m a born leader, so I’m sure it would come naturally. I would listen to what my team needs and help them any way I could. Even if you’re an entry-level candidate, you still need to tell a story about a time you were a leader. Go ahead and talk about leadership roles you took on at school or in your private life.
But that’s not all.
The “what is your management style” question isn’t only about management. The interviewer wants to know if you’ll fit in with their work environment.
That’s why the best answer will show that you’re flexible and adaptable.
Right I adjust my management style to meet the needs of the people I’m managing. Wrong I have a rigid management style that I impose on my underlings.
But wait there’s more!
Of course, you should also tailor your answer to the position and the company.
Don’t worry. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. This guide will show you how to incorporate each element into your response.
Remember, the “what is your management style” interview question isn’t only for candidates seeking managerial positions.
An interviewer could ask you to describe your management style even though you have no experience.
Or if you’re an entry-level candidate the interviewer might ask to describe the management style you prefer.
That’s why it’s best to have an answer on hand.
The career path for the position you’re applying for could lead to a management position in the future. The role might include working on teams.
The interviewer might want to know something about your general leadership style.
Regardless, it’s best to have a well-developed answer in your pocket.
Here are some alternative versions of the “what is your management style” question:
How would you describe your management style?
How would you describe the management style you prefer?
What managerial style do you use when leading ambitious projects?
How would you describe your leadership style?
Can you describe a situation where you successfully led a team?
Have you ever coached or mentored someone?
Pro Tip: Remember, there is no "right" or "wrong" managerial style. There are only “better” and “worse” methods relevant to given situations.
Want more common interview questions and best answers? Check out our Interview Tips & Advice or go read our guide on Most Common Job Interview Questions and Best Answers.
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2 How to Answer the “What is Your Management Style” Interview Question
What is management style?
Management style is the way that supervisors or leaders interact with subordinates or team members.
So, what are the different types of management styles?
Here are some management philosophy examples:
Autocratic - the boss is bossy (micromanagement).
Democratic - the boss includes workers in decision making.
There are other managerial styles. Most fall somewhere between Autocratic and Democratic.
For example, some managers go with a “coaching” supervisor style. Coaching involves the director focusing on the employee’s learning process.
Here’s the catch.
No single supervising style is perfect for every situation.
Coaching isn’t going to work well in a situation where there’s a tight deadline. It’s also one of the unnecessary managing styles to adopt when you're working with a team of experts.
Autocratic managers who threaten employees into working well do better in times of crisis.
But the autocratic management style is less effective over longer periods of time. Often, talented employees get frustrated and angry under such managerial pressure.
That’s why your “what is your management style” response should be “flexibility.”
But once you say your managerial style is flexible, you’ll want to take your answer to the next level.
How? By personalizing your answer and tailoring it to the open position.
So, one of the first things you’ll want to do is think about what “good management” means to you. Ask yourself:
Have you ever had a manager that you thought had a great supervisor style?
What was it that appealed to you in the way they handled their team?
What skills or characteristics would you steal from the managers you like?
Have you ever had a manager that you hated or despised?
What was it about their managerial style that made you frustrated and angry?
What bad managerial characteristics would you avoid?
Has a superior ever praised you for your leadership style?
Write down a few characteristics that you find appealing or make a full management styles list. The idea is to expand upon the element of “flexibility.”
Think about what characteristics you’d bring to the table as a manager. But don’t toss any old managerial skills onto the pile.
Here’s where you’ll start to tailor your “what is your management style” answer to the position and the company.
Now, you may be the rare and lucky candidate whose chosen company details what they want in a manager.
If that’s true for you, stick with things that reflect the managerial style they prefer.
The rest of you should try to match elements of your managerial style to company culture.
Let’s use General Electric as an example.
The company’s management philosophy:
Successful people and ideas don’t “happen overnight.”
Employees “need the right environment” to grow.
You notice on one of GE’s career pages that the company is at the forefront of leadership development. Plus, GE pumps over a billion dollars a year into employee development programs.
You get the impression that GE builds its corporate culture around career-long learning.
So, the interviewer asks you, “What is your management style?”
And you might say something like:
right I don’t have one style of management. I assess the situation and the team before deciding what action to take to get results. There are times when the health and safety of the team depends on clear instructions. Having said that, I agree with GE’s approach to supervising styles. Investing in the long-term development of employees is the best way to achieve sustainable results. The candidate shows flexibility. She tailors her response to the company. Plus, she has tailored the answer to a position where she might be responsible for health and safety. wrong I don’t have a managerial style. I just push my team to meet targets and deadlines. That’s the job of a manager - to make sure that their employees get stuff done. The candidate does not touch upon GE’s leadership culture. Remember that there are a lot of people out there who are as talented as you and want the same job. You have to set yourself apart. And displaying a knowledge of the company’s culture is one way to do that.
Finally, you need to tell a success story about a time that you led or managed.
The best way to prepare for the “what is your management style” question is to practice using the STAR method.
The STAR method helps you remember how to talk about your accomplishments.
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result:
Situation - You start by explaining a situation which required you to solve a problem, use a skill, or come up with a new idea.
Task - Next, you explain the action that your job requires in such a situation.
Action - After, you describe the action that you took. If it’s different than the required task, you should also explain why you chose a different path.
Result - What happened in the end? How did the situation play out once you acted? It’s best here to illustrate successes with numbers and details if you can. Numbers help reinforce the impact that your action had.
Start by referring to a situation or a task:
“My team was struggling with deadlines on a regular basis.”
Follow with the action you took to resolve the problem:
“First, I gathered anonymous feedback to identify underlying problems. Second, I asked the team to introduce targets and accountability measures.”
What was the result?
“The team had a shared sense of obligation after setting their objectives. They started pushing and supporting one another to meet goals. The result was that all team members began to meet their deadlines 90% of the time. ”
So, how do you answer the “what is your management style” question?
By using this formula:
Flexible Management Style + Personalized and Tailored Approach + Success Story
Pro Tip: You might find it difficult to talk about your achievements during an interview. But telling a story and giving examples is a way to make yourself memorable. So, don’t be shy!
Want more advice on how to discuss your strengths at an interview? Read our guide: “How to Answer the “What Are Your Strengths?” Interview Question (Examples)”
3 Best Answers for the “What Is Your Management Style” Interview Question
A “What Is Your Management Style” Response For Professional Managers
Let’s say you have managerial experience. Think about what’s worked best for you in the past. Go into a bit of detail to personalize your answer.
right Part One For me, the best approach to management is to switch back and forth between styles. But when I have the downtime, I like to encourage the team to bond. A good manager is one that invests in building a close-knit team that works well together. Of course, this managerial style only pays off in the long run. For more immediate crisis situations, I choose to reassign tasks or pick up the slack myself. I use threats and negative motivation only as a last resort. Here the candidate shows flexibility in their management style. Part Two Once, I was in charge of a team of 15+ people working across departments. The team started to miss deadlines. I found that miscommunication was causing some interdepartmental hostility. To resolve the situation, I organized a team building activity. I gave the team several fun, communication-based tasks. After each game, I mixed the members until everyone had worked together at least once. In the end, we had a discussion about what forms of communication worked and what didn’t. I then led a brainstorming session about how they could use these skills around the office. The hostility between the teams evaporated and productivity doubled. We even beat our sales target that month by 12%. The candidate has followed up with an example that shows how effective she is as a manager. She resolved an issue that resulted in a 15 person team doubling their productivity. They even beat their sales target by 12%. Try to add numbers to your “what is your management style” response. wrong I am an all carrot type of boss. I can’t stand those managers who yell, threaten, and hover. I treat my employees like equals and reward them with plenty of back pats and compliments. I believe that a positive work environment and a jolly supervisor makes for happy elves. The danger of such a response has to do with the fact that the answer is singular and specific. The candidate prefers one managerial style. She doesn’t consider the fact that the company’s work environment might not mix with jolly back patting.
A “What Is Your Management Style” Response For Job Seekers With No Experience
Let’s say you don’t have any prior managerial experience. You might have a harder time answering the “what is your management style” question.
Start by cherry picking a few characteristics you liked in past managers. Then follow up with a story about how you were a strong leader at school or in your private life.
right I have not yet had the opportunity to find out what my particular managerial style would be. At the same time, I’ve found that the best managers are those that have an adaptable supervising style. From my experience, I work best with managers who pay attention to individual's needs. My last manager was a good example. She used slow periods to coach workers who needed more instruction. When things sped up, she gave clear instructions and took on tasks herself if necessary. Although I’ve never been a manager, I took on several leadership roles as a student. I was the team captain of our academic team for two years. I made sure that each team member knew what they were responsible for before matches. At the same time, we often switched roles depending on who felt strongest. I took a democratic approach to leadership. I motivated the team by encouraging constructive feedback after matches. We won districts both years, and we’re invited to nationals my senior year. Even though the candidate has no managerial experience, she tells a leadership success story. Remember, the “what is your management style” question is also about how you’ll fit in with the company’s work culture. wrong I’ve never been a manager before, so I don’t have a managerial style. I guess I would try to strike a balance between being liked and feared. People walk all over you if they like you too much. So, you have to yell enough for them to be afraid of not listening to you. At the same, time you can’t yell so much that they hate you and want to leave their jobs.
Pro Tip: Try to use numbers and details to illustrate the impact your managerial style has. Not only are you a flexible manager, but your leadership inspires a 12% uptick in sales. That’s quantifiable value.
Now that you’ve aced your interview what’s next? Time to send a thank you email. Find out how: “How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview (+10 Examples)”
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Key Takeaway
So, what is your management style? Now you know.
To properly answer this dreaded interview question, remember:
You are flexible.
You understand the values of the company.
You can take charge of both yourself and others.
The interviewer wants to know that you’re the best. And the best candidates are those with skills beyond what they need for the position.
Still not sure how to answer the "what is your management style" question? We can help! Leave us a comment, and we will help you identify what's unique about your management style before the big day.
20 Management Styles: A Quick Reference Guide
No two managers are exactly the same. Our personalities, experiences, and access to leadership development opportunities shape how we choose to manage a team. However, in order to understand the world around us, our brains are wired to use categories and labels to organize information to make it easier to consume. Throughout the years, researchers have created names and categories for common leadership habits and traits they witness in the workplace, to help us understand the different managerial styles.
In this quick reference guide, you’ll find the 20 most commonly referenced management styles. Use this guide to gain knowledge about the different managerial styles, which style you may want to adopt, and which styles you will avoid.
Types of Management Styles
Affiliative management Style
Focused on positivity, this management style is known for its ability to resolve conflict by building trust with employees and creating an environment of community and collaboration among employees. They’re brilliant at creating connections between themselves, their employees, and promoting those who follow them to do the same.
Authoritarian Management Style
Authoritarian leaders manage by giving directions and retaining control. They’re not one to seek input from others, as they like to make decisions based on their own opinions, ideas, and experience.
Authoritative Management Style
Not to be confused with the authoritarian management style, authoritative leaders are characterized by their team mentality and bringing together individuals to achieve a common goal. Leaders who use this management style create a clear team vision for success, explain why it should be done, and guides others by leading by example. Through these actions, an authoritative leader inspires aection, builds trust, and drives engagement in those they lead.
Autocratic Management Style
Autocratic is a management style characterized by their command and control style of leadership. This style is typically the primary category that similar management styles such as authoritarian, bureaucratic, and paternalistic fall under.
BUREAUCRATIC MANAGEMENT STYLE
The bureaucratic management style is known for its traditional hierarchical structure and top-down leadership, where there is an abundantly clear chain of command. This style of management is characterized by highly formalized rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and processes that employees must follow in order to meet their objectives.
Charismatic Management Style
Charismatic leadership taps into their ability to speak with clarity to charm their audiences to take action. Their goal is to make the current reality better and have the conviction that it can be, and the commitment to make it so. They are strong at creating connections with others by relying on their captivating personality and communication skills, making them a leader many are eagerly willing to follow.
Coaching Management Style
Leaders who use the coaching management style believe they can unlock the potential of their people and do so through collaborative communication with an employee where they ask questions, give feedback, and provide motivation. This is all done with the end goal of developing the employee and enhancing their skills, for the greater good of the team and the company.
Collaborative Management Style
This management style lives to break down silos and brings employees, teams, and the organization together. Collaborative leaders believe in diversity of thought as a central way to make good decisions and the final decisions are made by the majority consensus. This belief ensures that information is shared freely across an organization, teams are cross-functional, and employees are empowered to take accountability for the outcome.
Consultative Management Style
Much like the collaborative management style, consultative leaders seek out thoughts and opinions from others before they make a decision. However, they do not do this across an organization. Rather they consult each individual on the team they lead. This type of leadership is often found where the team has technical or specific subject matter experts whose input is needed.
Democratic Management Style
Democratic management style, as the name suggests, centralizes on seeking input from others before making a decision but ultimately the leader makes the final call. Communication is bi-directional from the bottom-up and top-down, making employees feel valued, engaged, and involved. This style is typically one of the main categories for management styles and includes spin-off styles of consultative, participative, and collaborative.
Directive Management Style
Also known as authoritarian, this management is all about top-down leadership and decision-making.
Laissez-faire Management Style
This management style is the polar opposite of autocratic styles. Laissez-fair leaders empower their employees to determine the path forward and typically make very few decisions themself. This hands-off style does not give employees much guidance or instruction, as the leader is confident in their employee’s skills and abilities to get the job done, which may be a good or bad thing depending on the employee.
Pacesetting Management Style
Pacesetting leaders are task-oriented and focused on getting things done better and faster. These leaders create and thrive in a high-intensity work environment and expect those around them to keep up. The expectation is individuals produce results as results are valued over everything else.
Participative Management Style
The participative management style is very similar to the collaborative and democratic management style in that the leader seeks out input from everyone before making a decision or when resolving a conflict. However, unlike the democratic or collaborative style, the participative management style only involves their team members to make a decision, not the entire organization and the team comes to a consensus on the final decision, not the leader.
Paternalistic Management Style
As the name suggests, this type of leader takes the role of head of the group, much like a parent, and treats employees like a second family. In this management style, the leader makes the decisions and creates an environment where employees respect their authority and believe that the decisions made are in their best interest.
Persuasive Management Style
This style is characterized by relying on their own judgment and decision-making, much like the autocratic management style. The difference between the two is their approach to getting others to follow. Persuasive leaders invite questions and inquires into the decision made, whereas autocratic relies on command and control. They take the time to communicate the rationale behind decisions to get buy-in.
Supportive Management Style
Characterized by their concern for the well-being of their team, the supportive management style seeks out opportunities to support those they lead by removing obstacles so each individual can succeed. They work with each employee to develop their skills to the point where tasks can be delegated and employees feel empowered to get the job done with minimal supervision.
Transactional Management Style
This management style uses their formal authority in the organization as the reason why those they lead need to obey their orders. They believe their employees are only motivated by reward or avoiding punishment. Because of this belief, the transactional management style does not feel employees are self-motivated to get the job done, so they micromanage them every step of the way.
Transformational Management Style
Vision, change, and innovation are the key characteristics of the transformational management style. This type of leader inspires those they lead by having the belief that every employee has the power to shape the success of the organization through their ideas and innovations. They motivate their workforce by giving them autonomy at work and ownership in their roles to develop innovative solutions.
Visionary Management Style
These leaders have a clear vision of the future state they’re trying to achieve and are brilliant at painting that picture so others can follow. The visionary management style is characterized by a focus on the big picture by developing a strategic plan that addresses how they are going to achieve their vision. From there, once everyone understands and has bought into their vision, they empower each individual to do what is necessary to make it a reality.