7 Management Styles to Use at School

You may lead a team, have one or two reports – or perhaps none – regardless, if you recognise the importance of good leadership skills when it comes to creating a happy and healthy working environment, this one’s for you……

7 Management styles to use at school

Choose the most appropriate leadership style for the circumstance.

This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Each leadership style has many pros and cons, therefore, deciding how to best approach a changing situation requires a lot of deliberation. You should be asking yourself plenty of questions that’ll help you decide the best course of action for you and your team.

● What does the ‘right’ style mean?

● How can I help the team open the door to solutions?

● Is my vision of what’s ‘right’ the same as that of my team?

● Who will this change affect the most?

There are seven widely accepted different styles to use, with pros and cons to each, so it’s up to you to decide which one you fit into and which might work best for those you wish to inspire.

Autocratic

Who they are: Autocratic leaders are people who make decisions on their own, usually with very little input from other members of the team. Autocratic managers don’t ask your opinion, they tell you.

Advantages: This style of management is good for employees who work well with a clear sense of direction, or when a decision needs to be made quickly. Schools that need rapid improvements are often led by autocratic, experienced leaders.

Disadvantages: The downsides of this type of management largely depends on who’s in charge. It can be demoralising, discourage open communication and stifle creativity.

How to implement it: Employees will learn to rarely challenge an autocratic manager directly, but if anyone of your staff has got an issue, it’s worth hearing them out. That doesn’t mean saying ‘yes’ to everything – it just means thinking of a more creative way to say no (usually by emphasising what’s in it for them if they take your advice).

Democratic

Who they are: The absolute reverse of autocratic leaders, these kinds of leaders actually want to know your thoughts. Everyone has the opportunity to contribute ideas, and any decisions are agreed upon by the majority.

Advantages: Usually, this style of management is said to encourage more creativity, communication and collaboration. It gives a sense of autonomy to employees and often leads to greater job satisfaction.

Disadvantages: If swift decision-making is a must in your school, then be warned that managing teams this way can sometimes lead to uncertainty. As there is no clear leader, the team can end up with too many opinions.

How to implement it: This style hinges on your teams and leaders being as open as possible. Make sure they know you’re not just being polite in asking for their opinions – even if their ideas aren’t fully formed, someone else in the team might be able to build on them, so make it clear they should never be afraid to speak up.

Transactional

Who they are: Transactional leaders focus on results, conform to the existing structure and measure success according to the school’s system of rewards and penalties. This type of leader is responsible for maintaining routine by managing individual performance and facilitating group performance.

Advantages: This can be a powerful motivator – especially if staff are goal-orientated. Clear and easy to follow, managing a team this way means staff are always aware of the benefits of doing a good job.

Disadvantages: Just be wary of setting goals that are too high or unrealistic, as this can lead to greater pressure, demotivation, and a bad working environment. It can also be detrimental to the team dynamic, as everyone is looking out for their own interests.

How to implement it: Transactional management is really a simple formula: your leaders/staff complete their work; receive a reward and you say thank you. Just be realistic when it comes to goal setting: if an employee complains they’re too high, try and sit down with them to talk it through.

Transformational

Who they are: Often considered the most inspiring type of leader, transformational managers identify the need for change. Transformational leaders engage with and influence others—by paying attention to their needs, raising their motivation, and providing an ethical framework for decisions. In so doing, transformational leaders can create change within people, and within organisations too.

Advantages: Transformational leadership is one way to provide positive reinforcement and encourage personal growth. It works especially well in schools with low morale and can help create a vision that inspires change.

Disadvantages: Just be warned that some transformational managers can sometimes be accused of being blinded by passion and instinct, rather than having ideas rooted in reality.

How to implement it: As transformational managers, you want your staff to succeed – but it’s also about collaboration. Let your direct reports know they won’t go wrong if they listen to your advice, input your ideas and work towards a shared vision.

Consultative

Who they are: Consultative leaders usually ask the team for their advice and regularly consult them on decisions. This way, team members have the opportunity to give feedback and let their leader know what is or isn't working. While the leader usually makes the ultimate decision, they also provide direction to organise the team to achieve its goal.

Advantages: A consultative leadership style often helps to motivate staff and gives them a larger sense of responsibility.

Disadvantages: This style is best used in situations where time is less of an issue and camaraderie and team satisfaction is more important. It’s important to look around and consider the needs of your school – specifically any deadlines – before implementing this kind of management style.

How to implement it: the opinions of your staff should always be considered valuable; this kind of leadership style won’t work if you aren’t decisive yourself. Think about whether you have the skills to take on board multiple opinions before reaching the best solution that works for everyone.

Persuasive

Who they are: A persuasive leader makes every decision while providing team members with the reasoning behind every decision that's made. These leaders see that work gets done quickly and efficiently when needed, set specific goals and targets, and create a plan to organise a team toward those goals. Just be aware that a persuasive leader keeps team members aware of why a decision has been made to keep everyone informed, every step of the way – not just at the end of a project or task.

Advantages: Experts agree that the result of a persuasive leadership style is often a softer style than an autocratic one, but it’s still an efficient way to get things done. Done well, staff should feel neither ignored nor micro-managed every minute of the day.

Disadvantages: Without building a good relationship with your team first, this leadership style has little to no chance of success. Be mindful that in order to effectively implement it, you need to be knowledgeable, trustworthy, compelling, and passionate – you need to get people to believe in your ideas, while still being able to accept the blame when something doesn’t work out.

How to implement it: It’s best to think about using persuasive management when big changes are made, and new policies or procedures need to be adhered to immediately. It might be a temporary style you adopt to see you through the transitional stage only, too.

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