Aware of Your Management Style?
Cathie Leimbach • July 8, 2020
This is a subtitle for your new post
A former staff recruiter for small family businesses described the paradox of business owners’ management practices well.
Hands-on business owners often micromanage their staff. Multiple times each day they give very specific directions to their employees about their next task, even once they are experienced and competent with their regular work. The owner makes all the decisions without discussing with staff so they aren't equipped to work independently.
However, when the small business owner goes on vacation, he announces his travel plans to his staff a couple of days before he leaves. He shares no special information with his staff. He seems to believe they have been working for him long enough that they know how to run the business.
But then, when the owner returns to work, he is frustrated that the employees didn’t handle day-to-day irregularities the way he would have. And, of course, now that he is back on the job, they are receiving detailed instructions for routine work.
If you can trust your employees to keep the business going while you are away, is it really a good use of your time, or motivating for them, when you micromanage them?
If you don’t involve your employees in discussions about workplace situations that arise from time to time, how can you expect them to make decisions that align with your preferences?
Does your management style assume that staff aren’t competent to complete their regular work without daily instructions? Or, do you expect that they will magically have strong problem-solving skills when you aren’t there? Maybe you can relate with both scenarios.
What can you do to show that you trust your competent employees and equip them to handle unexpected situations?
When you adjust your management style, you will have more time to manage the business and they will have increased job satisfaction, resulting in higher productivity. And then, you will reap a stronger bottom line.
Herminia Ibarra’s research offers compelling insight into why leadership development should be viewed as a strategic priority. Her work shows that helping leaders grow isn’t just beneficial for individuals—it significantly improves how organizations operate and perform. Ibarra explores how leadership identity evolves over time. When managers step back from daily tasks and begin thinking and acting more strategically, it creates ripple effects across the organization. Teams become more engaged, decision-making improves, and execution becomes more effective. These shifts enhance productivity, innovation, and retention—key drivers of long-term success. Her research also highlights the value of building strong leadership pipelines. Companies that invest in leaders who are adaptable, self-aware, and skilled at big-picture thinking tend to be more agile and resilient. These organizations are better equipped to respond to change and seize new opportunities. By reframing leadership development as a strategic investment rather than a soft skill, Ibarra shows how it creates measurable improvements in performance across the organization. Growth in leadership capacity leads to smarter decisions, healthier cultures, and stronger overall results. 👉 For a deeper dive into the data, click here to view Insights from Herminia Ibarra’s Research on Leadership Development and its Measurable Impact.
In today’s evolving workplace, one constant remains: employees want to feel valued. Interestingly, research comparing data from before and after COVID-19 shows that employees' preferred languages of appreciation have remained remarkably consistent over time. However, age and gender differences reveal important nuances leaders shouldn’t ignore. Gender differences are clear. Men more frequently chose Acts of Service as their preferred form of appreciation (26%), while women gravitated toward Words of Affirmation (46%). When asked about their least preferred language, women were more likely to rank Acts of Service at the bottom, while men showed a strong dislike for Tangible Gifts. Age also matters. Employees over 60 overwhelmingly preferred Words of Affirmation (48%), while the youngest generation (under 20) leaned toward Quality Time (33%). These trends suggest that life stage and workplace experience shape what appreciation feels most meaningful.  The takeaway? While core preferences haven't shifted dramatically post-COVID, effective leaders need to understand and respond to individual differences. Avoid blanket strategies and invest in knowing how each team member feels most valued. Personalized appreciation builds stronger teams—across every generation and gender. For further details, see Dr. Paul White’s article on gender differences in appreciation preference.