What type of manager are you?
The Globalization (and the Internet as we know it today) has an important effect on the entrepreneurs. While 10-15 years ago you had to have an important starting capital, nowadays its far more easy to start a small 1-2 people business. You just need an business idea and enough money to sustain your daily living and moderate company costs for a few months. If the idea and the business itself proves to cover a market need, there is virtually nothing to stop you extend your business and hire some people.
At the exact same moment, when you start hiring people, our entrepreneur automatically becomes a manager. You might not realize, but some of the entrepreneurs have a very hard time communicating with other people, and moreover with a team how needs a leader.
In my professional life so far I have encountered 2 major manager types (even if the management literature has defined more). My “manager types” theory doesn’t follow the management books patterns, they are simple thoughts. My basic types are:
- the Despotic Manager;
- the Collaborative Manager.
While you have probably worked with both so far, it might worth to mention a little on both:
The Despotic Manager has a force position with everybody. He tries to establish impossible deadlines and goals as he think that people will only work best under pressure. His own professional goals are also very high, and he needs the work of the entire team to accomplish his own goals. His words are: “We have to meet the deadline, otherwise we will all need to go home in bankruptcy”
The Collaborative Manager is a completely different type of person and boss. Even if he knows very well his job and has his goals clearly stated, he tries to have a friendly cooperation with the team. When he spots a weak point in the team, not only that he will talk to the team in search for a better solution, but will probably valuate the team more than the results. His words would be: “Lets make our best and see how it goes. Then next time we will do it better”
I’ve worked with both types. The Despotic Manager actually helped me to learn more in the beginning. But after a while, I developed my own style. The despotic approach didn’t felt good anymore and searched another team with a collaborative manager. This one helped me to polish the things that I’ve learned in the “despotic era”.
What type is best? Probably none, a combination would be the real miracle.
So probably at this point you are asking yourself what does all this to do with the entrepreneurship? Well it does, as people never leave the company, they leave the managers. Moreover, in a small company, people are the most important capital.
I am the despotic manager CDO is talking about
. This might be bad, and I’m trying to be a better person – but I am “evil” by design.
However, this made our company a solid one, with 200% growth year on year in the last 3 years, etc. But, indeed, while we’ve passed over the 30 members in our team, there is a need for change. I hope I’ll be able to better manage my team, or at least hire someone to do it for me
Alexandru
It took only two seconds to recognize I’ve worked under and with both. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed the extreme versions of either. Sometimes, if I feel they’re too harsh then I want freedom, or if I feel they’re too laxed then I feel I am above than the project.
One past scenario that left me jaded on the Despotic Manager (who proposed lies about me and had me removed after I protested about another programmer not getting paid) is that he had higher commission if we delivered early, but never told the team (me). if I was told I could get a cut, then I happily would’ve slept under my desk. Can I fire my employer?
Now I don’t “work for someone else”, which is total bull since each client I take on is me working for them, but they like me… I hope!