Management styles will always vary from one manager to another. What suits your team may not suit another. However, knowing how you manage is key to optimising your leadership skills. What are management styles, and what various results they can deliver?
Listen to the audio version of this blog, and subscribe to the Phorest Blog Podcast here:
In his book ‘Leadership’, published in 1978, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian James MacGregor introduced the concept of transformational leadership, a process where “leaders and their followers raise one another to higher levels of morality and motivation.” Building a culture can encourage your staff to be the best they can be. Of the 6 management styles below, which one reminds you most of yourself?
The Directive Leader: “Because I Say So”
Directive leaders are the type of managers who will achieve their targets no matter what. They generally don’t like much creativity: they are there to do a job and will make it happen regardless of their team’s level of support. Directive leaders are very strong in the way they deal with processes in their business, and because they’re not afraid of hiring or firing staff, these leaders tend to reach their objectives by scaring their teams.
Usually, of all management styles, this one succeeds in restructuring failing salons and spas.
The Chief Leader: “Respect Me Now”
Chiefs are impressive leaders and make use of clear and precise communication. Their attitude is geared towards productivity and efficiency: ‘Let’s do it now!’ is their motto.
Chiefs get results, prioritise procedures and gain respect from team members who like directions. This style of leadership is great for failing businesses or big operations. However, as this management style can be prone to failing to listen, chief leaders occasionally struggle to catch on to their team’s needs and can make staff feel undervalued.
The Visionary Leader: “Building a Dream”
Sometimes misunderstood for being disorganised, visionary leaders can find it hard to settle down: they’re dreamers! Not the strongest at day-to-day business management, they compensate by making their team feel valued. In fact, this is one of their main goals.
Their motivation can make Visionary Leaders good at getting results. However, they will often need strong operational teams to work with them. Fantastic for new ventures, and of all management styles, Visionary Leaders are most likely to successfully create the salons of tomorrow.
The Collaborative Leader: “Unison Is My Aim”
Collaborative leaders often gain respect for their long-standing work ethic and are very good at helping teams to work together. They like to deal with HR situations and view their team as individuals sharing the same goals. This leadership style is very emphatic and inspirational to every personality in the team. These types of managers are great listeners, but can be slow putting things into action.
Of all management styles, this one approaches the workload with long-term strategies and the building of a dream team. Collaborative leaders are fantastic for any business as long as getting fast results is not the main priority.
The Participative Leader: “We Are All In It”
Participative leaders are very good for team morale. Unlike the authoritative style of Directive or Chief leaders, this style favours getting the whole team involved in the decision-making process. They are not the best in difficult times, but they do tend to make the team feel valued in their work.
These managers are needed when morale is low or teams become demotivated. They can achieve good results, but they can also be slow to deliver solutions for day-to-day operations.
The Coach Leader: “I Believe In You”
On an individual basis, the ‘coach’ leader is the most supportive one. This type of management will inspire every personality on the team. Be wary, though; while they are very effective in achieving results, ensuring that everyone else is okay can take a lot of their energy.
Coach leaders know where they’re going in terms of their long-term vision but need strong management teams around them to deal with day-to-day operations. Their involvement in the team can make them forget the bigger picture. Coach leaders tend to be excellent communicators, which is ideal for any team.
Final Thoughts On Management Styles
To create better tomorrows as leaders, we must learn to adjust our management styles to face the various situations we are confronted with. Be Visionary, but mix it up with a hint of Directive and Chief when needed, a pinch of Participative to motivate teams, and a touch of the Collaborative style to help the team gel and work well together. And above all, don’t forget to use the coaching style, especially in one-to-ones!
Be stubborn about your goals & targets but flexible in your methods. To inspire a workforce that achieves results, you should apply all of these management styles at one point or another… sometimes, even on a daily basis!
Interested in learning more from Valerie and many other leaders in the salon industry? Read more articles by Valerie on the Phorest Blog.
