THE SEVEN TYPES OF MANAGERS

With all the efforts those who are managed the mass !"t forth in a regal and often last attem!t to sal#age a on$e !ositi#e
wor% en#ironment at the $ore of e#er& to'i$ wor%ing en#ironment is the to'i$ (oss manager or s"!er#isor that (reeds it) All
roads go (a$% to the manager) And if the manager isn*t willing to $hange then it*s a safe (et that nothing will)
That*s wh& to im!a$t long lasting $hange managers need to "!grade their st&le and a!!roa$h to managing their !eo!le)
Thro"gho"t m& &ears of $oa$hing managers ("siness owners and e'e$"ti#es +*#e (een a(le to identif& se#en t&!es of
managers) ,sing these se#en t&!es of managers as e'am!les identif& the $riti$al $om!eten$ies ne$essar& to (e$ome an
effe$ti#e sales $oa$h) +t all starts with the wa& we $omm"ni$ate) Whi$h one (est des$ri(es &o" or &o"r (oss-
1. The Problem-Solving Manager
This (oss is tas%.dri#en and fo$"sed on a$hie#ing goals) These !ro(lem sol#ers are $onstantl& !"tting o"t fires and leading
(& $haos) The !arado' here is this/ +t is often the manager who $reates the #er& !ro(lems and sit"ations that the& wor% so
hard to a#oid) 0ontin"all& !ro#iding sol"tions often res"lts in the la$%l"ster !erforman$e that the& are wor%ing so diligentl& to
eliminate)
2. The Pitchfork Manager
Peo!le who manage (& a !it$hfor% are doing so with a hea#& and often $ontrolling hand/ demanding !rogress for$ing
a$$o"nta(ilit& !rodding and !"shing for res"lts thro"gh the "se of $onse1"en$e threats s$ar$it& and fear ta$ti$s) This st&le
of to"gh r"thless management is !ainf"l for !eo!le who are !"t in a !osition where the& are !"shed to a#oid $onse1"en$es
rather than !"lled toward a desired goal)
3. The Pontificating Manager
These managers will readil& admit the& don*t follow an& !arti$"lar t&!e of management strateg&) +nstead the& shoot from the
hi! ma%ing it "! as the& go along often generating s!oradi$ in$onsistent res"lts) As a res"lt the& often find themsel#es in
sit"ations that the& are "n!re!ared for) +nterestingl& The Pontifi$ating Manager thri#es on sit"ations li%e this) Often
adrenaline 2"n%ies themsel#es these managers are in des!erate need of de#elo!ing the se$ond most essential !rofi$ien$&
of a $oa$h/ masterf"l listening) The Pontifi$ating Manager is the t&!e of manager who $an tal% to an&one and immediatel&
ma%e !eo!le feel $omforta(le) This $hara$ter strength (e$omes a $r"t$h to their leadershi! st&le often (linding them to the
need to f"rther s&stemi3e their a!!roa$h) As a matter of fa$t the onl& thing $onsistent a(o"t these managers is their
in$onsisten$&)
4. The Presumptuous Manager
Pres"m!t"o"s Managers fo$"s more on themsel#es than an&thing else) To them their !ersonal !rod"$tion re$ognition
sales 1"otas and (on"ses ta%e !re$eden$e o#er their !eo!le and the #al"e the& are res!onsi(le for ("ilding within ea$h
!erson on their team) Pres"m!t"o"s Managers often !"t their !ersonal needs and o(2e$ti#es a(o#e the needs of their team)
As &o" $an imagine Pres"m!t"o"s Managers e'!erien$e more attrition t"rno#er and !ro(lems relating to managing a team
than an& other t&!e of manager) Pres"m!t"o"s Managers are t&!i$all& asserti#e and $onfident indi#id"als) Howe#er the&
are t&!i$all& dri#en (& their ego to loo% good and o"t!erform the rest of the team) Pres"m!t"o"s Managers (reed "nhealth&
$om!etition rather than an en#ironment of $olla(oration)
5. The Perfect Manager
Perfe$t Managers !ossess some wonderf"l 1"alities) These managers are o!en to $hange inno#ation training and
!ersonal growth with the "nderl&ing $ommitment to $ontin"all& im!ro#e and e#ol#e as sales managers almost to a fa"lt)
This wonderf"l trait often (e$omes their wea%ness) +n their sear$h for the latest and greatest a!!roa$h li%e Pontifi$ating
Managers Perfe$t Managers ne#er get to e'!erien$e the (enefit of $onsisten$&) This manager is a tal%ing s!e$ sheet) Their
em!hasis on a$1"iring more fa$ts fig"res feat"res and (enefits has o#ershadowed the a(ilit& of Perfe$t Managers to
re$ogni3e the $riti$al need for soft s%ills training aro"nd the areas of !resenting listening 1"estioning !ros!e$ting and the
im!ortan$e of following an organi3ed strategi$ selling s&stem) Perfe$t Managers rel& on their #ast amo"nt of !rod"$t
%nowledge and e'!erien$e when managing and de#elo!ing their sales!eo!le) 4e$a"se of this great im(alan$e these
manager often fall short on de#elo!ing their inter!ersonal s%ills that wo"ld ma%e them more h"man than ma$hine)
. The Passive Manager
Also referred to as Parenting Managers or Pleasing Managers Passi#e Managers ta%e the $on$e!t of de#elo!ing $lose
relationshi!s with their team and $owor%ers to a new le#el) These managers ha#e one "ltimate goal/ to ma%e !eo!le ha!!&)
While this is $ertainl& an admira(le trait it $an 1"i$%l& (e$ome a (arrier to leadershi! efforts if not managed effe$ti#el&)
Altho"gh wholesome and $harming this t&!e of (oss is #iewed as in$om!etent in$onsistent and $l"eless often la$%ing the
res!e$t the& need from their em!lo&ees in order to effe$ti#el& ("ild a $ham!ionshi! team) Yo" $an s!ot a Passi#e Manager
(& loo%ing at their team and the n"m(er of !eo!le who sho"ld ha#e (een fired long ago) 4e$a"se all Passi#e Managers
want to do is !lease the& are more timid and !assi#e in their a!!roa$h) These managers will do an&thing to a#oid
$onfrontation and $olla!se holding !eo!le a$$o"nta(le with $onfrontation and $onfli$t)
!. The Proactive Manager
The Proa$ti#e Manager en$om!asses all of the good 1"alities that the other t&!es of managers !ossess &et witho"t all of
their !itfalls) Here are the $hara$teristi$s that this ideal manager em(odies as well as the ones for &o" to (e mindf"l of and
de#elo! &o"rself) The Proa$ti#e Manager !ossesses the/
Persisten$e edge and gen"ine a"thenti$it& of the Pit$hfor% Manager
0onfiden$e of the Pres"m!t"o"s Manager
Enth"siasm !assion $harm and !resen$e of the Pontifi$ating Manager
5ri#e to s"!!ort others and s!earhead sol"tions li%e the Pro(lem.Sol#ing Manager
5esire to ser#e res!e$tf"lness sensiti#it& n"rt"ring a(ilit& and h"manit& of the Passi#e Manager
Prod"$t and ind"str& %nowledge sales a$"men effi$ien$& fo$"s organi3ation and !assion for $ontin"ed growth
2"st li%e the Perfe$t Manager
The Proa$ti#e Manager is the "ltimate manager and $oa$h and a testimonial to the additional s%ills and $oa$hing
$om!eten$ies that e#er& manager needs to de#elo! in order to ("ild a world $lass team)