Essential Management Functions and Key Leadership Styles

Core Management Functions

Planning

Effective planning involves anticipating and preparing in two key ways. It requires creating a detailed plan or project outlining actions for the short, medium, and long term. For a project's viability, it must be meticulously programmed, considering the cost of actions and budgeting accordingly.

Organizing

Organizing involves establishing clear organizational structures. Authority and responsibility are delegated by defining relationships across all company levels.

Implementation

Implementation requires constant decision-making and effective communication of those decisions.

Coordination

Coordination focuses on materializing resources and aligning efforts, ensuring all functions work in concert to achieve common goals.

Control

Control mechanisms are essential. While plans may succeed or fail, preventive control measures must be in place to monitor progress and make necessary adjustments.

Middle Management: Roles and Responsibilities

Middle management assumes critical roles and responsibilities, including:

• Receiving delegation of functions.
• Facilitating the work of their colleagues.
• Acting as a mediator.

Key Functions of Middle Management

Specific functions of middle management (often referred to as MI functions) include:

• Developing and forwarding projects and instructions.
• Ensuring compliance with procedures and instructions.
• Informing workers about risks and protective measures.
• Planning and organizing work.
• Training workers.
• Transmitting company interests and objectives to their teams.
• Raising awareness of overall company objectives.

Understanding Leadership Styles

Autocratic Leadership

The autocratic leader determines all standards and organizes all activities. The leader, often technically proficient, dictates short-term tasks. While the manager might offer praise, they typically do not participate directly in the work, can appear distant (not fostering close relationships), and this style may result in low team motivation.

Paternalistic Leadership

Paternalistic leaders often expect compliance from their team members and may not fully take into account their views or opinions when making decisions.

Democratic Leadership

Democratic leadership actively promotes participation and fosters a pleasant working climate. It empowers team members by allowing them to contribute to decisions (interpreted from "Deja choose" - lets choose), encouraging a strong spirit of cooperation. Standards are typically discussed and agreed upon within groups, tasks can be self-determined by individuals, and individual work is judged based on merit.

Laissez-Faire Leadership

In a laissez-faire leadership style, decisions are often made by the group or individuals, with the leader primarily serving to make information available. The leader generally does not influence the formation of groups and is not directly involved in the day-to-day work processes.

Bureaucratic Leadership

Bureaucratic leadership is characterized by rigid adherence to behavior, a strong reliance on creating and following manuals, and a significant concern for paperwork and established procedures.

Institutional Leadership

Institutional leadership prioritizes the well-being and development of people, focusing on bringing out the best in each individual. This leader typically demonstrates qualities such as honesty, humility, and tolerance. They are persistent, serve as positive ambassadors for the company, and confront problems decisively. Such leaders are knowledgeable, possess strong beliefs and hopes, delegate important work effectively, acknowledge their own faults, articulate a clear future vision with promises and objectives, and actively encourage participation from their team.