Theme 4. Management styles. 4.1. Psychological features of management style.

4.1. Psychological features of management style.

The word " style " is of Greek origin. Initially, it meant a stick (stylus) for writing on a wax board, and later it was used in the sense of "handwriting". So we can assume that the leadership style is a kind of “handwriting” in the actions of the leader, i.e. relatively stable system of methods, methods and forms of its practical activity.

As you can see, the style and method of leadership exist in a certain unity. Style is a form of implementation of management methods adopted by this leader in accordance with his personal, subjective-psychological characteristics.

Each of the existing methods of leadership is adequate to a completely specific management style. This means that for each method, each method needs personalities with well-defined qualities. In addition, the management method is more fluid and sensitive to new needs in the field of management relations than the management style. Style as a production order phenomenon to a certain extent lags behind the development and improvement of management methods and in this connection may conflict with it, i.e. Due to certain autonomization, leadership style as a reflection of outdated management methods can introduce new, more progressive elements into them.

The unity of the methods and leadership style is that the style serves as a form of implementation of the method. A manager with his own leadership style can use various management methods (economic, organizational, administrative, social and psychological) in his or her activities.

As you can see, the leadership style is always highly individualized, it is determined by the peculiarities of the psyche and personal qualities of a particular person. In the process of management, that special “handwriting” of the manager is formed, which cannot be repeated in detail. As there are no two identical fingerprints on a hand, there are no two identical managers with exactly the same leadership style.

At the same time, the "grid of management" proposed by American psychologists R. Blake and D. Mouton makes it possible to quite clearly define the characteristics of the main styles of guiding people.

The table clearly shows the various ways to implement the powers of the head. Head actions are carried out in two main dimensions:

1) concern for production (X axis) - the desire to obtain positive production results,

2) care for people (Y-axis) - the leader’s striving to achieve final results based on the trust and respect of employees, sympathy for each other, understanding and support. This is the creation of favorable working conditions, an application for a salary increase, bonuses, etc. The relationship of measurements to determine the types of control is schematically presented in the form of a table with a 9-point rating. In this table, 1 point is a low degree of measurement, and 9 points is a high one. Other indicators indicate intermediate degrees of a particular dimension.

1.1- minimum care for the production and the needs of workers. The head of this type accepts only the minimum effort that is required in order to maintain its place in the organization.

5.5 is the theory of the leader with the philosophy of the "golden mean". It is based on a system of assumptions ensuring the peaceful coexistence of the leader and his subordinates.

9.9 - a high level of care for production is synthesized by a high level of care for people. The actions of the leader of type 9.9 are dominated by democratic methods and ways of solving production and personal problems.

According to the proposed system, these types of controls are basic.

The style ties many components of the triad "leader - situation - performer" into a knot.

A lot of research has been devoted to the study of management style, and a number of methods and schemes for differentiating management methods have been proposed. But it is generally recognized that there are three main styles: authoritarian (prescriptive), democratic (collegial) and liberal (permissive). Each of them is a consistently repeated ways and mechanisms of communication for the implementation of the functions and objectives of management in certain conditions of activity.

The authoritarian style of leadership is characterized by centralization, the concentration of power in the hands of the leader. He single-handedly makes decisions, suppresses the initiative of subordinates and tightly controls them. Leadership is replaced by command

In a democratic style, the leader decentralizes his power. Subordinates take part in decision-making, the initiative is strongly stimulated by the Head. He delegates to the subordinate part of his authority, introduces elements of collective self-government.

The liberal leadership style is characterized by minimal intervention of the leader in the activities of the group. The head acts only as an intermediary and minimally uses authority.

To deepen the characteristics of the main management styles, it is advisable to conduct a comparative analysis of the most striking features.

Characteristics of the main leadership styles

The above classification, of course, does not exhaust the variety of forms of interaction between the leader and subordinates.

Studies have found a relationship between the results of labor and leadership style. The effectiveness of various styles was evaluated over three years.

The team has the highest results, dominated by a democratic leadership style, and the lowest liberal and authoritarian.

Productivity studies psychological climate, staff turnover and profit.

It should be borne in mind that each of these styles "in pure form" is very rare. The flexibility of the head and is to take advantage of each style and apply it depending on the characteristics of the situation.

When applied to a specific situation, the manager must choose the most effective leadership style. As a rule, in normal conditions the democratic leadership is the best, but in a difficult, critical situation it is advisable to resort to the authoritarian style. So having met on the road a tractor driven by a drunk driver, you are unlikely to be standing in front of him, politely, appealing to the best feelings, to offer him to stop. The outcome of such actions may be the fact that you will never be able to think about management problems. Most likely, you will guess that you should adapt to the situation, get into the cab and get the tractor driver out of control. That is the essence of situational management.

A leader who wants to be "effective" throughout his career cannot afford to follow all his life for a particular style. Style is always determined by a whole complex of circumstances and must correspond to the real situation.

At the same time, there is one immutable rule for a leader of any rank: “to manage is always the ability to be yourself and another”.

One of the parables of the East is very interesting in this respect. “Once a wise man undertook to teach a fighting cock for the king. Ten days later, the king asked:“ Ready? ”“ No - yet, swaggering, boasts lousy. ”Ten more days later, the king asked about the same thing. , rushes to every shadow. "After another ten days, the king again asks." Not yet! - answers the sage. - "Angry looking, and bursting with rage." Ten days later, the same question followed. "Now it is almost ready. If you hear another rooster, it will not even budge. It stands like a wooden one. No rooster will dare to challenge - it will see and run."

The meaning of the plot is in the development of a culture of internal dignity, without which there can be no managerial elite. "Noble men and in disagreement remain in harmony" (Confucius).

Leadership style is associated with the originality and integrity of the leader’s personality; therefore, a thoughtful style strengthens authority, and pseudo-style based on manipulations leads to the efforts of the leader mainly to combat the threat to authority.

The leader must be not only a good professional, but also a subtle psychologist who has mastered the psychological "master keys" that are so necessary for work to the souls and hearts of his subordinates. This arsenal of special techniques, skills, rules of effective communication and forms the basis of communicative competence in management.