Managers are often the first to spot wellbeing issues, especially if they’ve developed a strong relationship with their team. But their management style can have a big impact on how they and their people approach wellbeing at work.
Each leader is unique. Whether they’re managing a small team or an entire department, their management style will influence not only their team’s performance but also their experience of work each day. This can have a huge knock-on effect when it comes to managing employee wellbeing. In this blog, we explore the strengths of five common management styles and some areas where they could focus their efforts to boost their people’s health and happiness.
Visionary leader
A visionary leader is a forward-thinker, always looking at the big-picture goal and helping their team to understand why it matters. They like to create a collaborative vision and shared goal to work towards.
They advocate for their team and highlight their successes to create a sense of unity. However, they need to be careful that their pursuit of these goals doesn’t make their team feel overstretched. While they’re likely to be motivated and proactive in their leadership style, they should remember to help their team manage their smaller, daily challenges.
Being too future-focused can be stressful, so careful management of the day-to-day is vital to avoid burnout as your team strive toward its bigger goals.
Directive leader
This type of manager takes charge with a clear directive style. They’re logical, task-driven and efficient. They’re usually great at staying calm under pressure and tackling even the longest to-do list. Their cool head has a positive influence on their team, making them feel supported in times of stress.
Being so task-focused, they need to make sure they’re allowing their team to take on their own responsibilities and manage their time in a way that suits them. People with this management style should ensure they’re actively celebrating their team’s achievements and making them feel valued, which will help build the type of personal connection that’s vital for supporting employee wellbeing.
Coaching leader
A coaching leader is empathic and nurturing. They’re focused on fostering personal growth and close relationships that knit their team together.
They encourage everyone to contribute and are great at reflecting on success, which builds a lot of trust with their colleagues. They’re likely to be clued into their team’s wellbeing and feel comfortable discussing any issues that might come up.
However, they need to be careful that their team still have clear direction and goals to avoid a lack of clarity, which could increase anxiety and demotivate more results-driven employees. It’s all about finding that balance.
Affiliative leader
Affiliative leaders are strong collaborators who are always keen to seek different perspectives, opinions and input from their team. People with this management style are advocates for listening and inclusivity, and have clear insights into their people’s emotional wellbeing.
These close relationships help the affiliative leader create happy, healthy teams. However, they must get comfortable with offering constructive feedback to help their people grow, and sometimes they’ll need to put their personal priorities first to protect their own mental health.
Pace-setting leader
The pace-setting leader leads by example. They’re strategic, knowledgeable and an expert in their field. They’re often great at coping under pressure and balancing their passion with their excellent organisational skills.
However, they need to be mindful that other people might not always be able to keep up with their energy. If they can offer their team flexibility in their schedule, this can help individuals to work in a way that suits them to avoid tiredness and issues with burnout. Making time for their team’s personal development is another approach that can build confidence and prevent any skills gaps from slowing them down.
Take our quiz to find out your management style
Being a manager and being a parent have a lot in common. ‘Momager’ is a term that originally applied to mothers who manage their children’s careers. Each ‘momager’ has their own approach to management, which can give us some surprising insights into the role of the line manager at work.
Take our quiz to find out which celebrity mum embodies your management style.