A person's management style is driven by time, learning from others and what just feels right.
When I became CEO at Shamrock I had already learned what I thought was my best management style. Then, it was based on books I'd read, people I'd learned from, and people I had talked with. Now, I'm not sure if my management style has a "type", but I thought I'd check Wikipedia (because, if something exists, it will be in Wikipedia).
I searched management styles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Management_styles) and found the four basics, including Autocratic ("My way, or the highway"), Paternalistic ("Watch how I drive, and learn how I do it"), Democratic ("Business is a two-way street, so we all agree on where the stop signs go"), Laissez-Faire ("You drive your car; I drive mine, and let's hope we arrive in one piece").
Today, I think my management style changes based upon the business situation. But, overall, as a manager, I want what's best for my company, our employees and our customers. For example, a customer once said to me, "I won't give my business to a company that has an automated receptionist." I know this is a trend that saves companies a lot of time and money, but I listened to this customer, and agreed with her. It just feels right to me that, when someone calls us at Shamrock, they will speak with our Director of First Impressions, a live person who takes an interest in each caller's needs.
I've actually lost count of the number of people who've told me how refreshing it is to get a real, live person on the other end of the telephone when they call Shamrock.
I'm not interested in changing management rules for the sake of change, unless there's a sound reason to do so. For years, when someone made a business call, they got a reassuring voice who helped them get answers to their questions. Why change something that's worked for years?
ONE FINAL THOUGHT...
The longer I manage, the more I believe in a Benevolent Dictator. Far from being feared by staff and customers, a benevolent dictator is driven by success and passion for what is best for all concerned. It's likely this type of manager is also a person who encourages others to move forward and find their personal success. Let me know what you think makes for a benevolent dictator, and I'll include it in my next post.
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