What Are The Different Types Of Manager (And How To Become One)
Different types of Managers exist to support businesses. Learn what each Manager type does and how they achieve success for their companies!
There are Many Different Types of Manager
Managers are vital for guiding employees, overseeing operations, and helping businesses achieve their goals. However, not all managers have the same role. There are several common types of managers found across organisations.
Managers serve diverse functions that keep organisations running smoothly. Line managers directly supervise employees and operations within specific departments, ensuring workflows align with broader goals. Staff managers lend their expertise in vital support areas like HR, finance, and legal, providing specialised guidance.
Middle manager types operate as the liaison between senior leadership and frontline staff, communicating needs in both directions. In executive roles, senior managers craft organisational strategy and make high-level decisions. Front-line managers oversee the non-managerial employees carrying out day-to-day work coordinating their efforts.
Keeping the lights on, operational managers concentrate on smooth business operations and production. Project managers shepherd defined projects from conception to completion. At the team level, team leaders guide, motivate, and develop teams within their departments.
Becoming a manager requires education, skills, and experience. The specifics depend on the type of manager role one pursues. Understanding these different positions helps both aspiring managers chart their careers and employees navigate their workplace relationships.
So, let’s talk about all the different types of managers, managerial styles, and how you can reach such a position in your career.
Exploring Different Types of Managers
Line Managers
As a line manager, you are the frontline leadership guiding your team to execute day-to-day operations smoothly. You directly oversee employees within your department, monitoring productivity, giving feedback and coaching, ensuring compliance, and aligning their work to achieve broader goals. This puts you in the driver’s seat for making decisions about workflow, training needs, performance management, and providing hands-on guidance to help your team thrive.
Communication is king in your role so that you can clearly translate the company’s vision and strategies into the specific tasks and development needs of each employee. You operate in the intersection between executive leadership and ground-level workers.
Staff Managers
In your specialised functional areas like HR, finance, legal or IT, you lend your expertise to inform policies, processes, and guidance for the organisation. As a staff manager type, you don’t directly oversee employees or company operations. Rather, you work collaboratively with leaders across the business as a strategic partner and trusted advisor.
While line managers focus on getting work done through employees, you provide critical support and knowledge to help the organisation run effectively behind the scenes. Whether it’s budgeting, compliance, system improvements, or talent management, your specialised skills inform important decisions and policies across the company.
Middle-Level Managers
As a middle manager, you serve as the backbone of the organisation, connecting strategic leaders with on-the-ground operations. You oversee a range of functions and departments, guiding supervisors and team leaders toward executing broader initiatives. While senior executives set the compass for the organisation’s direction, you ensure we’re tracking toward those goals daily.
Middle manager types translate lofty visions into realistic projects. You rally your teams to action by connecting their daily tasks to the company’s mission. With a bird’s eye view of diverse operations, middle managers provide valuable insights to upper management through status reports and feedback from the front lines.
Senior Managers
Perched at the top of the organisational chart, senior managers steer the ship through both calm waters and storms. As a senior leader, the buck stops with you. While middle managers oversee departments, you analyse the performance landscape from 10,000 feet. Competition, market forces, and financials – these are the strategic inputs that shape your vision and direction for the company.
As CEO, COO or CFO, you call the shots on expansion plans, budgets, and new initiatives to promote sustainable growth and profitability. Your decisions ripple throughout the organisation, impacting everything from culture and values to day-to-day processes. Your role is to passionately communicate the “why” behind tough calls so every employee aligns with the vision.
Front-Line Managers
As a front-line manager, you’re leading the charge on ground operations. Your boots-on-the-ground vantage point provides invaluable insights to inform executive decisions. But your primary role is guiding your team in flawless execution of daily tasks. You directly supervise rank-and-file employees, overseeing workflow, offering training, and motivating staff to hit performance goals. Employee productivity and development rests firmly in your hands. Through open communication and leading by example, you cultivate a collaborative team spirit. Your team’s success propels the entire company forward.
Operational Managers
Smooth operations are the heartbeat of business health, and optimisation is your obsession as an operational manager type. You ensure seamless processes and production by overseeing workflows, allocating resources, strengthening supply chains, and upholding quality controls. Your eagle eye on operations and metrics spots inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement. While executives chart strategy, you analyse ground-level realities to inform wise investments and changes that increase performance. Your day-to-day vigilance in keeping operations humming allows innovation to flourish.
Project Managers
As project manager, you are the master coordinator executing initiatives from conception to completion. Juggling schedules, budgets, resources and tasks keeps you on your toes. Your oversight of all moving parts allows you to sequence activities, identify dependencies and mitigate risks to drive on-time delivery. When chaos looms, you troubleshoot so your team can move forward. Your bird’s eye view, attention to detail and organisation are key to successfully shepherding projects to completion. You turn ideas into reality by aligning people, processes and tools.
Team Leaders
Your role as team leader is guiding your talented team to not just accomplish goals but reach their full potential. You provide hands-on motivation, feedback and training to empower your team. Your influence on team cohesion, effectiveness, and productivity makes you a pivotal player. By developing talent and cultivating a collaborative spirit, you inspire your team to excel. You recognise how nurturing individuals multiplies the team’s capabilities. Your team’s growth fuels your pride.
Managerial Styles: Find the Right Approach
Autocratic Management Style
As an autocratic manager type, you rule with an iron fist. You make swift decisions independently without staff input. This directive, the authoritative style brings decisive leadership when rapid action is required. In emergency responses or highly regulated environments like factory production lines, your firm hand minimises chaos. But don’t let the power get to your head. Your extreme top-down approach can damage employee morale and stifle innovation and diverse perspectives needed in an office setting. Before barking orders, discern when a softer, collaborative style may better inspire your team.
Democratic Management Style
You favour people over power as a democratic manager who builds consensus. While autocrats dictate, you actively engage employees in decision-making. By holding majority votes and encouraging open dialogue, you gain valuable insights from different perspectives. Your collaborative approach fosters high engagement, creativity and team cohesion essential for innovation. Yet, achieving alignment takes time, which can delay crisis response. Know when it’s time for executive decisions, not endless debates. Keep a finger on the team’s pulse to discern when a firmer hand is needed to drive focus amid chaos.
Laissez-Faire Management Style
You govern with a light touch as a laissez-faire manager, granting extensive freedom. Rather than micro-managing your team, you set broad goals and let employees self-determine the best approach. This empowering autonomy sparks ingenuity in skilled, self-motivated workers who thrive when trusted. But those needing more guidance can flounder. New hires especially may feel overwhelmed without engaged leadership to nurture their potential. So check in regularly, even when giving space. Offer mentoring to develop talent while letting your stars shine independently.
Transformational Management Style
Transformational managers inspire employees to reach new heights. While transactional manager types focus on tasks, they keep the end goal in sight. By connecting daily work to a larger purpose, you energise employees as visionaries united behind a meaningful mission. You challenge teams to reimagine solutions, disrupting the status quo through innovation. But take care not to lose sight of practical steps. For big visions to become reality, provide scaffolding for teams to learn new skills and experiment safely. With supportive guidance through uncertainty, you see their growth potential realised.
Transactional Management Style
As a transactional manager, you emphasise structured systems over soaring visions. You concentrate on tasks, metrics and processes to achieve reliable results. Employees appreciate your pragmatic approach – set clear targets and they will be rewarded. However, adaptability is limited by adhering rigidly to rules. Allow some flexibility for employees to showcase creativity within defined parameters. And remember, teams connect more to inspiring goals over granular tasks. So, anchor their step-by-step efforts into a larger purpose beyond productivity.
Coaching Management Style
You take a hands-on approach as a coaching manager dedicated to developing talent. Your attentive guidance pushes employees outside their comfort zones to expand their skills through experiential learning. Through frequent feedback delivered with care, you help them grow. By providing encouragement through challenges, you build competencies and loyalty. But beware of overreaching – some may resist the close involvement or lose confidence if pushed too hard without support. Your commitment to their long-term success must be clear for coaching to empower rather than discourage.
Collaborative Management Style
As a collaborative manager, you take a team-first approach to decision-making and problem-solving. Rather than handing down directives, you engage the full team to leverage their perspectives and abilities. You actively facilitate group discussions, brainstorming sessions, and collaborative work to build consensus. This fosters talent development by deepening employees’ understanding of connections between strategy and operations.
However, achieving alignment can be time-intensive compared to unilateral decisions. Provide clarity around when collaborative efforts versus managerial calls are appropriate. Build a psychologically safe environment where people feel comfortable challenging ideas and taking risks. Your inclusive leadership enables cooperation, innovation, and shared purpose.
Visionary Management Style
Visionary managers inspire and rally their teams around a meaningful, strategic vision for the future. As a visionary leader, you keep the big picture in mind, acting as a catalyst for innovation and change. Your bold ideas disrupt the status quo, challenging teams to reimagine solutions.
By connecting employees to a larger purpose, you energise them behind your vision as passionate stakeholders, not just task-focused workers. Yet, you must also cultivate buy-in through clear communication and rollout plans that demonstrate how lofty goals can become realities. Provide the tools and training for employees to develop needed competencies. With supportive guidance through uncertainty, you see their potential realised in pursuit of future success.
Different Types of Manager
What Kind of Manager Are You?
Identifying your management style is crucial for effective leadership and team dynamics. Management styles can vary widely, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Here are some common management styles and ways to determine which one resonates with you:
- Autocratic Management:
- Characteristics: Decisions made by the manager, limited employee input.
- Self-Assessment: If you find yourself making most decisions without seeking much input from your team and prefer a more centralized control approach, you may lean towards an autocratic style.
- Democratic (Participative) Management:
- Characteristics: Involves employees in decision-making processes.
- Self-Assessment: If you value team input, seek consensus, and encourage open communication and collaboration, you likely have a democratic management style.
- Laissez-Faire Management:
- Characteristics: Minimal direct supervision, employees have more autonomy.
- Self-Assessment: If you trust your team to handle tasks independently and prefer to give them the freedom to make decisions, you might have a laissez-faire style.
- Transformational Management:
- Characteristics: Focus on inspiring and motivating employees to achieve greater goals.
- Self-Assessment: If you are passionate about your vision, and motivate and inspire your team to exceed expectations, you may have a transformational management style.
- Transactional Management:
- Characteristics: Emphasizes reward and punishment based on performance.
- Self-Assessment: If you believe in clear structures, and systems, and use a reward/punishment approach to manage performance, you might have a transactional style.
- Servant Leadership:
- Characteristics: Prioritizes the well-being and development of team members.
- Self-Assessment: If you focus on supporting and serving your team, putting their needs first, and facilitating their growth, you likely have a servant leadership style.
How to Become a Manager
Educational Backgrounds and Certifications
While types of manager roles vary, one constant rings true – knowledge is power. Certain positions legally require specific qualifications, but learning never stops for effective managers. Foundational business education gives wide exposure to concepts, functions, and best practices. Specialised degrees or certifications set professionals apart in fields like engineering, finance, or human resources. Yet, with rapid advancements, resting on academic laurels leads to stagnation.
Continuing education in management, communication and emerging tech ensures leaders can steer teams with confidence. Pursuing executive courses annually, even with an MBA, keeps skills sharp. Keep growing your knowledge and the opportunities will, too.
Skill Development
Beyond just brains, exceptional managers cultivate a varied skill set combining hard and soft skills. Analytical abilities help derive insights from data and financials. Strategic planning enables long-term thinking. But without the human touch, analysis falls flat. Strong communication, emotional intelligence, coaching, and relationship-building differentiate great leaders. These qualities amplify teams’ potential.
New managers often struggle when thrust into supervisory roles underprepared. Formal training paired with mentoring navigates those choppy waters. The greatest lessons come from mentors who provide guidance through organisational challenges. Their wise counsel teaches how to inspire teams while driving results. With dedicated practice, managerial skills become second nature.
Career Trajectories
Management roles rarely appear overnight but come through proven performance. Talented individuals identified as emerging leaders are often encouraged to pursue supervisory opportunities. While rapid rises occur, common paths begin in entry-level roles, building foundational skills.
As responsibilities and accomplishments accumulate, so too does readiness for management. Cross-functional rotations, maybe from Marketing to Sales to Service, build connective competencies. Experience in diverse roles allows you to understand departmental connections and unique needs when managing across business units. A broad perspective combined with a track record of results paves inroads to management.
Continuous Learning and Networking
The learning process never ceases for all types of managers invested in growth. Regular training sharpens skills and reveals new methods. Executive courses, seminars, mentorships, and industry events expand perspectives. Connecting with peers, mentors and professionals builds relationships while exchanging insights. Read voraciously about leadership techniques and communication approaches, and stay on top of industry trends. Amid rapid technology changes, continuing education is required to lead effectively. Make lifelong learning and networking pillars of your management journey. The rewards will be reaped in thriving teams and career advancement.
Embrace Your New Role
Getting started whatever type of manager you are can be daunting. However, our experts have a few tips on how you can make the transition as smooth and stress-free as possible:
- 1. Don’t Panic
- 2. Be a Great Listener
- 3. Scope Out the Lay of the Land
- 4. Get Your Team On-Side
- 5. Notice the Small Stuff
- 6. Identify What Support You Need
- 7. Accept You Don’t Know Everything…..Yet
- 8. Don’t Pretend – Full Stop
- 9. Take a Lunch Hour
- 10. Enjoy the Job!
Improve Your Management Skills With Impact Factory
Ready to chart your course into management excellence? Start by conducting an honest self-assessment. Reflect on your current skills and identify areas for growth. Seek input from colleagues on your strengths and development needs. Use these insights to create a personalised learning plan.
Set specific goals, like improving team communication or strategic thinking skills. Determine the time you can dedicate to reaching these goals. Now, explore training programs that align with your needs. Our diverse courses at Impact Factory allow professionals to tailor development through expert-led training.
Building Your Skillset
Our management training courses uniquely cater to diverse leadership needs. Programs are customised to strengthen specific competencies for line managers, project coordinators, team leaders and other roles. Whether overseeing operations, motivating teams, or launching initiatives, find targeted development. Hone abilities in leadership, communication, and decision-making that align with autocratic, democratic, transformational and other management styles. Bring training goals and we’ll craft an integrated leadership growth plan. Our partnerships build skills for current and aspirational management roles.
Choosing the Right Training
From first-time manager basics to senior executive level, we offer training for every phase of the management journey. Our training programs and courses empower smooth role transitions through essential skill building. Enhance capabilities to lead remote teams with our Line Management course. Experienced managers refine their abilities through our tailored Management Skills Training program. You can even leverage our One-to-One Skills Training, where we can work on resilience, communication, conflict management and other skills you need to succeed in the role. Critical areas like time management, project management, and change management have targeted courses to elevate management.
Take Your Career to the Next Level With Impact Factory
Training cultivates vital leadership, communication, strategic planning, coaching, and problem-solving capabilities. Participants gain higher competencies to inspire teams, spearhead initiatives, and drive results. Immersive practice strengthens skills to handle diverse management challenges. Our courses provide the toolbox to excel in current roles while advancing toward increased responsibilities. Hands-on learning develops abilities to steer organisations with vision and purpose. Let training pave your path to leadership excellence.
Contact us today and take the first step to elevate your managerial skills.
FAQs
What are the four traits of successful leadership?
Four key traits set great leaders apart: strong communication to connect with teams, emotional intelligence to understand needs, vision to drive change, and adaptability to lead effectively in diverse situations. For example, a leader with empathy can better tailor support to struggling employees. An adaptable leader can adjust their style from directive to collaborative as a project evolves.
What is the least effective management style?
Excessively autocratic styles often prove detrimental in modern workplaces by limiting employee participation and stifling innovation. Similarly, overly hands-off laissez-faire styles can allow subpar work due to lack of supervision. Both approaches tend to disengage teams. Typical issues include poor morale, lack of accountability, and limited development.
What makes a good manager?
Good managers exhibit strengths like clear communication, empathy, decisive problem-solving, strategic thinking and leadership. They balance directive behaviours with coaching and feedback. They cultivate diverse skills and flexibly apply different styles to suit various team needs and contexts. This balancing act keeps teams engaged while driving results.
What are the weaknesses of a manager?
Common management weaknesses include struggling to delegate, resisting change, poor conflict resolution, inadequate strategic planning and difficulty giving constructive feedback. Managers can work on weaknesses through training, mentorships, and practising self-reflection. Courses on leadership, communication and management styles provide guidance tailored to development areas.
Related Articles:
Learning about the different types of manager is only the beginning of your journey. Here is what you might want to read next:
- Management Skills Training – Take your career to the next level with our training and sharpen your skills regardless of the level of experience in the role.
- Get The Most Of Your Management Training Investment – Learn more about what boxes a training needs to tick so you can see its positive impact on your business.
How To Measure The ROI Of Management Training Courses [link to our piece] – To find out whether the management training is paying off, you need to know what to look for. Find out more about how you can measure the return on your investment.
