Management and Leadership Styles

Personality psychology plays a huge part in our Management and Leadership Styles.

Let’s First Clarify What We Mean By Management and Leadership Styles

Management and leadership are not the same thing.

Management

Management is essentially about coordinating resources to achieve an outcome as efficiently and effectively as possible. The verb has it origins in the  Italian maneggiare (to handle, especially tools). This of course comes from the Latin word manus (hand).

So even from it’s definition we can see that management is very “hands-on”.

Leadership

In leadership we decide the goals and the outcomes, then inspire others to follow in a vision. In some ways leaders define what it is we are to manage. In a modern world leadership is often about change, where management is about consistency and process.

Management and Leadership Styles in the 21st Century

Management and Leadership StylesTraditionally leaders and managers were different people. However, increasingly we see a single individual simultaneously responsible for both Leadership and Management.

We often find ourselves leading one minute and then managing the process the next.

So while it’s not important to have two different people operating both roles, it is important to understand the difference between Leadership and Management as both will tap into different aspects of our personal psychology.

How Personality Affects Our Management and Leadership Styles

By it’s nature management is often repetitive. It’s about getting better and better at given processes. Good management sees refinement of the processes and improvement in the use of resources.

Leadership on the other hand it likely to be dealing with change. Thinking about uncharted territory is very different from improving an existing process. Leadership often requires a whole new process to be created.

You can see that these are both tapping into very different characteristics.

In many ways leadership and management draw from opposite ends of the personality spectrum. So while it’s not impossible to find someone who is both a great manager and a great leader, it is more likely that any individual will be more comfortable with one role than the other.

Our  psychology also affects how we manage and how we lead. Both managers and leaders vary tremendously in their management and leadership styles, depending on their type.

Here are some Classic Management Styles You May Have Heard Of

As with any label these are only to be take n with a pinch of salt. Management styles vary as much as people vary, which is largely infinite. We are only looking at these to illustrate a point.

Autocratic

This is where the manager makes all the decisions unilaterally. Chances are this style would only ever work for managers who are located in the North of the PeopleMaps Map.

Consultative

Managers employing a consultative style are going to consider what’s good for the staff as well as the business. Although this is still a top down management style, feedback and opinions are genuinely sought.

Persuasive

Not that different to an autocratic style as the manager still retails complete control over all decisions, however they will invest more time in trying to bring people on board. You will only find this approach from managers residing in the south of the PeopleMaps Map.

Democratic

This sees two way communication and most decisions are only made in accordance with the majority. Everyone gets a say in the decision and the manager will facilitate it. Consensus is the key here.

Again you are only likely to see this done effectively by managers located in the South of the PeopleMaps Map.

Leadership And management Styles Should Be In Harmony With Personality

If you want to be a more effective leader then make sure you understand your personality and how it affects your leadership style. The same is said for your management style.

The worst thing you could do is try and implement a management style that was in conflict with your core personality.

Great leaders and managers are found across the entire personality spectrum. There are no places on the PeopleMaps Personality Map that have the monopoly on good leadership or management.

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