Management style is the manner in which you approach your leadership and management role and relationship with the employees who report to you. For organisations to develop, they require a direction.

Leadership is less about your needs, and more about the needs of the people and the organisation you are leading.

Leadership styles should be adapted to the demands of the situation, the requirements of the people involved and the challenges facing the organisation. However, for a business to excel, leadership is vital. A leader is somebody who sets the direction and inspires other people.

‘Take care of your customers and employees first and profits will follow.’ This belief forms the foundation of organisations, three key business objectives: customer satisfaction, employee development and profitability.

An organisation needs its employees to use their skills to deliver high levels of customer service. This means an autocratic management style is inappropriate in daily routines. A manager sets the standards for the team but encourages team members to be flexible and responsive to each customer. This ensures that customers get the service they expect.

Management is about getting things done. Leadership is about achieving goals by creating a direction for a business and inspiring employees to take initiative and make the right decisions. An effective manager has a variety of styles he can use depending on the situation.

They all involve the degree to which a manager decides to involve employees in decision making. Management styles also reflect the relationship the manager has with employees. A management style model will help you see the difference between the available management approaches.

Managing is not enough. ‘What is needed is leadership to help people achieve what they are capable of, to establish a vision for the future, to encourage, to coach and to mentor and to establish and maintain successful relationships.’