Effective Leadership: Mastering The Best Management Methods

The leadership style of a manager can set the motivational mood for the entire workplace, making it especially important to choose the best method for your employees and business. To be an effective leader, a supervisor needs to find the right ways to get people to want to give their best and work hard. Smart managers take into consideration the personality types of the people they’re trying to motivate to encourage maximum productivity.

Below are descriptions of some of the different styles of leaders, with benefits and potential drawbacks.

The Commander

Also known as The Director, this is probably the managerial style most disliked by employees. This manager puts the “boss” in “bossy” with an almost military way of giving commands and assignments. Oddly enough, even though it is widely considered the least effective form of management, this style is often used. Because most adults resent being ordered about like children, the demeaning methods employed by The Commander tend to lower morale and productivity.

The Coach

The Coach is a highly helpful and recommended form of leadership, with the manager in a teaching role that offers employees assistance and advice for achieving goals. Rather than simply telling employees what to do, The Coach shows employees how to better do their jobs by offering advice and tips in a positive manner. This style works best for motivated employees who can take constructive criticism and want to improve their performance. Workers who are very sensitive or insecure may take well-intentioned coaching as criticism, making this method ineffective for certain personalities.

The Participant

This leader rolls up his or her sleeves and dives directly into the project at hand, setting a classic “lead by example” precedent. With a democratic manner that allows everyone to be a part of the decision-making process, this management style is best used with highly self-motivated people, as lazy or lackadaisical types will most likely take advantage of the freedom The Participant manager offers employees, allowing others to do what should be their portion of the work.

The Visionary

Farsighted, imaginative and creative, this is the managerial style employed by charismatic and highly motivating people. The Visionary may have been hired as a manager or may have risen from a lower rank to leadership because of their enigmatic and infectious go-getter attitude. If you have The Visionary on your management team, consider yourself lucky because these types tend to inspire the people around them, bringing productivity and positive results to whatever they attempt.

The Director

This is a style of manager who is comfortable enough with themselves and their authority that they don’t need to be pushy or aggressive, choosing instead to be politely assertive. Recognizing that somebody needs to be the leader in any organization to keep it running smoothly, The Director is happy to simply direct the proceedings in a positive and confident manner, without being overly-authoritative or cold. Many employees respond well to this brand of leadership because they know exactly where they stand and what is expected of them at all times, which is reassuring and great for morale.

The Buddy

This type is generally someone who feels an intense need to be liked by everyone, and will attempt to befriend employees, giving an overly-friendly, personal aspect to the manager-employee relationship. This sociable approach might be effective in a smaller, family-run business where bonding personally with co-workers might encourage them to work harder for you, but it is generally not recommended for larger corporations.

Now that you’ve read about the different management methods, you can assess your workplace and employees to figure out which style might best suit your needs. Apply the leadership skills above to inspire, stimulate and encourage your staff to optimize performance and get results.

Isaac Morris is a professional blogger that provides tips and information on franchise opportunities and investments. He writes for FranchiseExpo.com, the place to find franchise opportunities online.