[QUIZ] What management style do you use?

Different managers have different styles. And, as with most things, each management style comes with its own strengths and weaknesses.

Authoritative managers, for example, risk stifling their employees’ growth, whereas laissez-faire managers may not see their employees are struggling with tasks until it causes problems. But, how do you know which management style you use? And, how can you improve?

We’ve put together a quiz below which will help you to decipher your management style. Simply, take our quick test and then find your management type in the article below. You can easily see what your strengths and weaknesses are and how you can future-proof your management style.

Plus, we’ve added some helpful tips about the best management style to use at the end of this article, so be sure to stick with us!

Democratic manager

A democratic leadership style is a hybrid of hierarchical and lateral leadership styles. Here, there is a traditional manager leading the team, however, a large part of their role will be encouraging team members to actively participate in decision-making. They will do this by delegating tasks, asking for input in processes, and opening forums for discussion.

The benefits of democratic leadership style are:

Various ways of thinking are included in projects – Especially in diverse teams, democratic management styles prioritise different ways of thinking and opinions to play a role in decisions.

Teams fully support decisions – Unlike more hierarchical management styles, democratic leadership teams are more likely to support and have faith in the decisions that are made. This will make for better company culture.

High employee engagement – As different team members will be involved in all projects, the engagement of your team will see great benefits in terms of employees being more engaged and active.

The downfalls of democratic leadership style are:

Employees may feel downtrodden – One serious risk of the democratic leadership style is that if employees are outvoted on a matter, it may lead to them feeling disgruntled or underappreciated.

Time-consuming – Dependent on the number of people involved in the decision-making process, informing and pitching decisions to everyone in the group can take some time. If wider discussions are needed between different stakeholders, this further adds to the time needed.

Increases the risk of conflict – If employees aren’t in agreement with each other, this can open the door to conflict and other working relationship problems. A great Relations Manager can help to avoid this.

How can you improve as a democratic manager?

Including employees in the decision-making process is a great way to give your team power in the decisions your company makes.

However, if you choose to go against the way individuals vote or decide not to implement their ideas, be sure to tell them why and reinforce that their opinions are valued. This way, you reduce the risk of hurt feelings or toxicity breeding in the workplace.

Authoritative/autocratic manager

Authoritative and autocratic management is a typical hierarchical leadership style. It sees leaders take a top-down approach, with little room for employees to voice their opinions, influence processes, or give feedback.

While many have argued this style of leadership is outdated, it still has its place in some businesses.

The benefits of authoritative management style are:

Fast decision time – As management makes most decisions in an authoritative leadership situation, decisions can be made quickly without much discussion.

Low pressure for employees – As management takes the brunt of any strong decisions or process forming, there isn’t too much pressure placed on any entry-level or mid-level team members.

Clarity of hierarchy – Due to its strictly top-down approach, the hierarchy and order of authority is clear-cut in an autocratic leadership style.

The downfalls of authoritative management style are:

You’re only as strong as your leader – As the manager in this type of business leads the creation of processes and makes the decisions, your team will only have as much expertise as the manager does.

No room for collaboration or innovation – Authoritative management doesn’t leave much room for those lower down the hierarchy to voice their improvements or ideas, meaning creativity can be stifled.

Little room for growth – As teams led in this way tend to have a strict hierarchical structure, growing into new roles can be limited to a ‘one-in-one-out’ situation. This can lead to high employee turnover , if not managed correctly.

How can you improve as an authoritative manager?

One way that you can start to improve is by creating growth plans with your team. Holding monthly one to ones and speaking to your team members about areas they’d like to develop in will ensure they aren’t stagnating and looking for growth opportunities outside your business.

This also helps to introduce a great feedback culture within your team.

Consultative manager

A consultative leadership style is much more on the lateral side. This management style sees a lot more focus placed on the team and their skills and fosters more independence than authoritative management does. The team are actively encouraged to make decisions together and each plays a role in forming processes.

The benefits of consultative management style are:

Lots of opportunities for cross-learning – As each team member will be encouraged to use their strengths and expertise, this fosters a cross-learning environment.

Room for creativity – In this type of environment, creativity is at the forefront of the team’s working style. There is always room for innovation and change to improve ways of working.

Growth is encouraged – As managers aim to have team members work towards their own solutions, growth is actively encouraged with this leadership style.

The downfalls of consultative management style are:

Less efficiency – As team members must work to form their own solutions, things can naturally take longer to get done. This is especially true if strengths are lacking in some areas.

Less outspoken members can feel overlooked – Most teams are formed of a mix of personality types , meaning some will naturally be more reserved than others. In a consultative management-led environment, this can lead to quieter team members not sharing their thoughts or feeling as though they’re not being heard.

Unfair distribution – As with the above point, some more outspoken team members may feel as though they are carrying the brunt of the work if quieter members aren’t speaking up.

How can you improve as a consultative manager?

As a consultative manager, it is important that you ensure each team member is getting equal opportunities to share their ideas.

If you’re noticing one individual isn’t speaking up as much as the others, don’t hesitate to ask them for their opinion. If it is an ongoing issue, putting in some one-to-one time with them may give them the confidence to start speaking up, or help you to decipher what is holding them back.

Coaching manager

Coaching management styles combine the elements of both hierarchical and lateral leadership. In this leadership style, leaders work to mentor and guide their team to success, much like a work coach They will work with their reports to bring out their elements and shape them towards better performance, processes, and decisions.

The benefits of coaching management style are:

Open forum for communication – As managers work in a mentor-type role here, communication flows in both directions. Employees will feel more comfortable sharing their personal goals and areas of weakness to help strengthen their skills.

Learning is encouraged – A huge benefit of this leadership style is employees rarely feel stagnant. They will regularly be encouraged to grow and learn new skills, meaning they are constantly professionally evolving.

Increased loyalty – Coaching managers are heavily invested in their team’s development, which will naturally be recognised by employees. This leads to increased loyalty in the team, which can have a positive impact on turnover.

The downfalls of coaching management style are:

Huge time commitment – Such an individualised approach to team members requires a huge amount of time commitment from managers. This means other tasks or priorities may get pushed back.

Requires high levels of skill – Not everyone is a natural coach. Without the right skill set or personality type, coaching can easily be done wrong. This can lead to conflict or wasted resources in areas they aren’t needed.

Invitation for preference – Naturally, some personalities may have better chemistry than others. In some cases, this may result in coaching managers playing ‘favourites’ or spending more time assisting some team members than others. This can impact the work environment greatly.

How can you improve as a coaching manager?

As a coaching manager, ensuring you’ve got your deadlines set is essential. Coaching your team is a great way to train soft and hard skills, so keep this up!

However, if a project has strict deadlines don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to team members who you know can handle it and approach the learning opportunities later, when time permits. It is also a good idea to actively keep track of how you are helping individual team members. This way you can track each individual’s progress, as well as ensure you aren’t unconsciously dedicating more time to one team member over the other.

Laissez-faire manager

This is a highly lateral management style. Here, leaders place a huge emphasis on trust in their leadership approach. They will very rarely be involved in the day-to-day workings of their team, and will only step in when truly necessary.

Employees will be expected to make their own decisions, call on their own problem-solving skills to find solutions, and manage their own time. They will often provide feedback at the very end of a project, rather than during the process.

The benefits of laissez-faire management style are:

High level of accountability – Under this leadership type, each employee is accountable for their own actions and work. This often motivates employees and allows them to take pride in their output.

Huge growth potential – As employees are in charge of their own time and actions, this pushes them to grow stronger and more confident as individuals. They are free to ‘learn by doing’ and analyse their decisions afterwards.

Creativity flourishes – Without micromanagement or strict processes, there is plenty of room for creativity under a laissez-faire leadership style. This means employees are free to try new things and stay hot on industry trends.

The downfalls of laissez-faire management style are:

Things can slip through the cracks – Without strong processes in place, this type of leadership style can leave teams unsure about who is leading some projects. In turn, deadlines, or whole projects, can slip through the cracks.

Lack of guidance – Due to management not playing a strong role in the day-to-day projects, some team members may feel as though they do not receive adequate support or mentorship.

Difficult onboarding process – As management aren’t involved in the day-to-day work, they may find it difficult to onboard new members of the team. This activity may then be passed on to other team members, who feel underqualified for this task.

How can you improve as a laissez-faire manager?

Letting your team do things their own way is great for their growth, but don’t forget to check in on them from time to time. This can be by having a weekly huddle to check on project progress or by introducing weekly one to ones to discuss an employee’s workload, happiness, and growth.

Doing this will ensure that problems or areas of irritation are diagnosed and solved quickly before they snowball into something bigger!

Transactional manager

This management style is another that is considered quite hierarchical and outdated, however, is still in place in some industries. Transactional management is a performance-based leadership style that focuses on punishment and reward.

Managers set goals or targets and will reward or punish team members based on how they perform in line with these targets, treating their output as an exchange.

The benefits of transactional management style are:

Employees always know what is expected of them – Since targets are set, employees always know what they are working towards and what kind of performance their lead wants to see.

High drive to succeed – As the stakes are high with a business working under transactional management, so is the drive to succeed. Employees will dedicate their time to achieving their goals in order to be rewarded.

A clear chain of command – With transactional management, the hierarchy is quite clear and employees will know who to turn to if they have a problem or there is a bottleneck impacting their performance.

The downfalls of transactional management style are:

High risk of overworking – When targets are set and rewards are based on these targets, employees risk overworking in order to hit these targets. This can have a huge impact on their mental health and severely impact performance in the long run.

Severed team relationships – If targets are set that involves the whole team’s participation, this risks causing conflict and severing team relationships. This can happen if performance ability differs across the team.

Risk of bias – Depending on the employee’s relationship with their managers, transactional management can run the risk of bias impacting either targets or the decision to reward employees.

How can you improve as a transactional manager?

Setting targets and rewarding employees is a great way to boost productivity. However, be sure to have these bonuses as an extra incentive. Paying a great salary and offering a good set of employee benefits will ensure that employees don’t feel the need to overwork or push themselves to exhaustion to gain their rewards.

So, what is the best management style?

As with all things relating to your business, the management style that works best will depend on your specific company. Different management styles work best for different businesses.

For example, in a sales-based business, the targets and rewards seen in transactional management environments can work as a great motivator for productivity and performance. However, in a tech company, this kind of management can cause unnecessary pressure and lead to mistakes.

The solution: a tailored management approach

A great management tip is to try and adopt a hybrid approach, including some of the best bits from each management type listed here. This could be done in a few ways.

One tip could be actively coaching and helping junior team members to improve while taking a step back and allowing senior team members to work independently. This combines the coaching and laissez-faire management styles in a way that works for the rest of your team.

A step further may be to tailor your management style to each team member. In this case, getting to know your team is essential. Some individuals may prefer the clear-cut instruction and goals that an autocratic manager provides. Others may prefer to work towards a goal uninterrupted and have feedback provided once they’re finished, making a laissez-faire style perfect for them.

Of course, if your team is growing, you could also consider hiring another senior-level manager with a completely different leadership style to you. This will ensure there are enough leaders in the team to support the workload and will also mean that you are adding to the workplace culture by keeping the leadership styles balanced. And, as a bonus, you will have another peer to bounce ideas around strategy and team building off!

Writing a senior-level job ad? Attract top management talent by writing a great job ad, with help from our guide! Read it here

Want to know how to take the conversation with your employees even further? Try implementing some of these feedback styles and you’re sure to see a difference in how your team works together.

9 Leadership Types and Their Strengths

There are nine different leadership styles, and the type you use to direct your team can greatly impact your organization’s success.

Each leadership style has its strengths, although some – like transformational, democratic and situational leadership – are commonly seen as more desirable.

Understand and harness the strengths of your leadership style to communicate effectively and motivate your team.

This article is for business owners and managers who want to recognize their leadership style and maximize their strengths.

Whether you are leading a small group or a large organization, your leadership style can greatly impact the effectiveness of your efforts. Although there are several types of leadership, the most appropriate one to use depends on you and your team. Christie Lindor, founder and CEO of Tessi Consulting, described some common traits of an effective leader to us.

“Effective leaders demonstrate the political will to make tough decisions and are accountable enough to follow through on promises,” she said. “Transparent communication styles also make leaders effective.”

In addition to making tough decisions and exhibiting clear communication, productive leaders should periodically examine their style and evaluate how their subordinates perceive it. Sometimes it is necessary to alternate leadership styles to accommodate a team’s changing needs. [Related article: 7 Common Leadership Mistakes You’re Probably Making]

The 9 most common types of leadership

Leadership styles can be unique to each individual. However, experts agree that most leaders fit into at least one of these nine different leadership styles. Lindor said when you analyze which leadership style you use, keep in mind that there are no right or wrong styles.

“It’s all about pairing leadership styles with the right organizational fit, market, timing and needs in a way that drives successful outcomes,” she said.

Autocratic leadership: This is one of the strictest types. Autocratic leaders tend to have complete control over the decision-making process. This leadership style can be effective when decision-making is urgent or workmanship is routine. Bureaucratic leadership: Although not as strict as autocratic leaders, bureaucratic leaders also tend to strictly enforce regulations and statuses in the hierarchy. This leadership style can be effective in healthcare and safety environments. Charismatic leadership: Charismatic leaders have an infectious presence that motivates their team to follow their lead. Their likability helps them and their teams achieve success in business. This leadership style can be effective in high-energy work environments that need a lot of positive morale. Democratic leadership: Unlike autocratic or bureaucratic leaders, a democratic leader often welcomes subordinate participation in decision-making. This leadership style is often admired and can be effective in creative work environments that don’t require quick decisions. Laissez-faire leadership: Laissez-faire leaders have a hands-off approach and let their employees assume responsibility in the decision-making process, although they must still set employee expectations and monitor performance. This leadership style can be effective when working with highly experienced and confident employees. Servant leadership: Servant leaders share power and decision-making with their subordinates and often direct the organization based on the team’s interests. This leadership style can be effective for humanitarian organizations, nonprofits and teams that need to create diversity, inclusion and morale. Situational leadership: Situational leaders implement a range of leadership types and modify their style based on the needs of their employees and the environment. Because of its versatility, this type of leadership is effective in most organizations. Transactional leadership: A transactional leader uses a reward/consequence system to motivate employees toward success and discourage them from failure. This leadership style can be effective for teams that are motivated by rewards. Transformational leadership: Like charismatic leaders, transformational leaders use their inspiring energy and personality to create an engaged workplace. This style is often more effective than charismatic leadership, as it also motivates teams to build confidence and accountability. It can be effective in organizations with intellectual team members who thrive in interactive environments.

“The leadership styles that I most admire are transformational, which is about articulating an inspiring vision and helping people reinvent themselves and their company; servant leadership, which is all about taking care of your clients, employees and the general community; and situational leadership, which is all about creating an agile way of leading and thinking depending on the needs of the organization or marketplace,” Lindor said.

Key takeaway: Each style of leadership has its own disadvantages and advantages, although some styles are seen as more desirable. For example, most small businesses can benefit from transformational, democratic or situational leadership.

How to identify your leadership style

After understanding the different types of leadership styles, determine which one feels most authentic to you.

To do this, ask yourself these questions:

What do I value more – goals or relationships?

Do I believe in structure or freedom of choice?

Would I rather make a decision on my own or collectively?

Do I focus on short- or long-term goals?

Does motivation come from empowerment or direction?

What does a healthy team dynamic look like to me?

There is no right or wrong answer to these queries; many individuals find their leadership style through trial and error. Experiment with different approaches to see which one works best for you and your team. You can also seek a leadership mentor who can offer advice on how they developed their style. Solicit feedback from people you trust as well. Most importantly, be authentic. Try to pick a leadership style that feels natural to use and is aligned with your strengths.

Why it is important to understand your leadership style

According to Lindor, self-awareness is the foundation of a good leader. When you understand what leadership style works best for you and your team, it’s easier to be an effective leader.

“It’s important to know what type of leader you are (or are not) in order to show up effectively in an organization,” Lindor said. “Knowing your leadership style also helps you decide which organizations might be a better cultural fit.”

Norah Nicholls, principal at Deloitte Tax LLP, said a good understanding of your leadership style can help you communicate with your team more effectively.

“It’s important that you maintain transparency about what you’re focused on as a leader, and to help create alignment around your vision and objectives,” she said. “It’s important to create a culture where people understand the strengths that they collectively bring to the team.”

Nicholls said that effective leaders are able to set a vision, align people with that perspective, and show them how they can achieve that intent together. However, you must play to the strengths of your leadership style to achieve that goal. “If you can better understand your leadership strengths and harness them, you will continue to grow and succeed.”

Key takeaway: Effective leaders understand who they are and who they are not so they can manage effectively.

Daily leadership behaviors that motivate employees

Regardless of your leadership style, there are leadership behaviors you can exhibit to inspire employee motivation and success. A prime example is to be a positive role model for your team.

“Showing your people that you are constantly focusing on improving your own skill set – leadership, industry knowledge, technical skills – is critical to good leadership,” said Nicholls. “Encourage them to explore new skills, to make sure they know you’re committed to their growth.”

Key takeaway: Great managers lead by example every day. They are authentic, compassionate and inclusive.

When you set a good example for your employees and show interest in their success, they are more likely to follow your lead and respect your authority. Lindor said that you should also display daily acts of authenticity, compassion and inclusion to inspire employees. You can build trust in your employees if you exhibit genuine actions and are willing to work alongside your team when necessary.

“Employees like to work for leaders they believe have their best interest at heart, leaders that will stand up and support them, particularly during challenging times,” said Lindor. “Regardless of your leadership style, always remember to take care of your people, and they will, in turn, take care of you.”

Tierra Smith contributed to the writing and reporting in this article. Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.

5 Different Types of Leadership Styles in Management

Becoming a good leader starts with identifying and refining your leadership style. There are several common types of leadership styles in management, but none are necessarily better than others. The most effective leadership style largely depends on you, your personality, and how your team responds to different management tactics.

Your leadership style is likely to change over time as you learn what does and does not work for you and your team. As such, it’s important to understand how different styles influence different outcomes and how you can combine different styles to accommodate your team’s unique needs and challenges. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common types of leadership styles in management and their advantages and disadvantages.

What's My Leadership Style is a management development tool, leadership style assessment, and training workshop that identifies a person's leadership style. It helps organizational leaders, managers, and supervisors improve performance and become effective leaders.

5 Common Leadership Styles

Leadership styles can range from completely authoritarian to laissez-faire, with plenty of room in between. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of these individual styles can help you identify and develop a personal management style that maximizes the potential of yourself and your team. Here are five of the most common leadership styles in management:

1. Autocratic

Autocratic or authoritarian leadership is a style of management that focuses on maximizing efficiency and results through making decisions without taking any input from other team members.

Autocratic leadership is often considered to be ineffective for many reasons, but primarily due to the fact that it often leaves employees feeling undervalued and frustrated. Autocratic leaders make decisions on their own and expect employees to adhere to their directions without question.

Authoritarian leadership can present some advantages. For example, autocratic leaders often make quick decisions and provide clear directions that make it easy for employees to understand their objectives. They can also reduce employee stress by not burdening them with difficult decisions.

2. Democratic

Democratic leadership is often considered to be a more effective alternative to autocratic leadership. Democratic leaders consult their team members and listen to their input before making a major decision. While the manager ultimately has the final say, employees are able to offer their opinions, making them feel more valued and appreciated.

Democratic leadership offers several advantages. It helps lower-level employees develop leadership and decision-making skills that they will likely need as they climb up the ladder. It also helps managers make more informed business decisions as they receive valuable input from employees in specialized roles.

The main drawback to democratic leadership is that it can be inefficient in some cases as it takes a significant amount of time to organize discussions and collect input from employees before making an important decision.

3. Transactional

Transactional leadership is a performance-based style of leadership that rewards employees for the work they do.

Transactional leaders value achieving goals and often set performance-based incentives to motivate their employees. This may include financial bonuses for hitting certain milestones, or in some cases, disciplinary actions for employees that don’t complete their objectives.

This type of leadership can help establish clear objectives and responsibilities for team members, but in some cases, it can encourage employees to only do the minimum required to achieve their individual incentives.

4. Laissez-faire

Laissez-faire leadership typically involves delegating tasks to team members and offering very little supervision or direction. Leaders pass authority on to their team members and trust them to find the best way to perform their jobs and accomplish goals.

This style of leadership can be effective in teams that include experienced, highly-skilled employees that can be trusted to manage themselves. Laissez-faire leadership also often instills confidence in employees as they feel empowered and trusted. On the other hand, it can occasionally lead to inefficiency as employees don’t have a clear understanding of their roles, responsibilities, or objectives.

5. Transformational

Transformational leaders are focused on establishing clear goals and encouraging pushing employees to perform their best. Often, transformational leaders will give employees goals and milestones that may be simple at first but are constantly evolving with the intention of pushing employees out of their comfort zones.

This style of leadership is common with growth-minded managers that want to see what their employees are capable of. These types of leaders are often delegating new responsibilities and tasks to employees to help them grow and maximize their performances.

While this style of leadership can help you get the most out of your employees, in some cases, employees may not be equipped to handle the new roles and responsibilities given to them. With transformational leadership, it’s important to give employees access to training and other resources that help them achieve their objectives.

Find Your Leadership Style with HRDQ

Finding your leadership style is the key to maximizing your team’s performance and becoming a successful manager.

At HRDQ, we provide high-quality assessments and leadership training materials to help leaders develop their skills and get the most out of their teams. What’s My Leadership Style? is a management leadership development course designed to help leaders identify and develop their personal leadership styles. With this assessment, you’ll be able to better understand how you can improve team performance and become an effective manager.