A Look At The Different Management Styles You May Encounter Throughout Your Career

Psychologists define management styles in four basic categories. Here are the four more common classifications.

Management styles as defined by experts.

Directive Autocrat: Makes all the decisions and closely supervises his staff to assure directions are being followed.

Directive Democrat: Makes decisions as a group, and then takes a leadership role in assuring follow-through.

Permissive Autocrat: Makes all the decisions, and then lets staff carry out the work as they see fit.

Permissive Democrat: Makes decisions as a group, and then steps back to let staff carry out work.

Management styles as defined by everyday people.

These are very broad, of course. It's impossible to fit everyone into one of four categories, and maybe your boss just doesn't seem to fit any of the ones described above. Employees often use a more common comparison, like thie one below which describes the two extremes of management.

The micro-manager: He wants to know what you're doing at all times. He will not just assign tasks, he will also explain how you should approach getting them done. He'll make frequent suggestions for how you can do things better. You'll be required to submit frequent progress reports and even daily updates, just to keep him informed. This manager is a very hands-on person who has difficulty delegating and letting go of responsibility. He holds ultimate responsibility for everything. Any attack on you or anyone under his watch is an attack on him. He will seldom let you make a decision… or a mistake. You may feel as though you have a safety net in place to catch you if you happen to stumble. It can be stifling and discouraging. Try not to take this personally. It is usually not at all a reflection on your abilities. You have to earn this person’s confidence over time, and gradually he will loosen the leash. At the other end of the spectrum:

The silent leader: He is there when you need him, and only then. You can come to him at anytime with questions or clarifications, but he will not come to you. He will offer suggestions only when you ask for them. This manager places confidence in his employees from day one. He sees mistakes as learning curves, and expects you to stumble occasionally. He will expect you to learn from those mistakes and try another approach on your own. He is watching, and he is aware of your progress, but you may often feel like you are flying blindly. If you need more involved leadership from this employer, you will have to ask for it. You will need to be proactive in collecting useful feedback, and getting the guidance you need to best perform.

In reality...

Most often, you'll find a manager who is somewhere in the middle. Ideally, you must strive to adapt to your manager’s leadership style, while still getting the guidance and support you need to be productive.