Is your management style too reserved?
I often hear people say how much they long for a manager who’s quiet, thoughtful, reserved and capable of creating a peaceful culture. And I have to agree: this sounds wonderful, on the surface. But dive a little deeper and you find that quiet managers often present a world of uncertainties and unanticipated challenges. Accompanying the more obvious benefits are surprising detriments that can be as debilitating to the organization as those inflicted by their overbearing counterparts.
Too much of a good thing has served as a generic warning for generations, and it can hold especially true for the quiet manager. Quietness in management is better in some ways and worse in others.
Quiet Managers
Quiet managers are typically introverts, which in itself is not a bad thing. But quiet managers are so uncomfortable with feelings, closeness or the mess of human conflict, that they manage with as little emotional or relational input as possible. Psychotherapist and business consultant Beatrice Chestnut, PhD, dubs them “knowledgeable observers” in The 9 Types of Leadership: Mastering the Art of People in the 21st Century Workplace (Post Hill Press, 2017). They prefer solitude over engagement, intellect over emotion and hard data over subjective input, she notes.
Quiet managers need space, feeling safer at a distance from their people. They’re overly challenged by interpersonal struggles, strong emotions or typical workplace drama. They don’t aim for the spotlight, but rather efficiency and correctness. Disorganization sets them off. They want the machinery to hum along with effective precision and little need for their direct intervention or correction. They try to align plans and people well enough for all aspects of business to take care of themselves.
Quiet managers value data and analysis. They process and respond; they don’t react. They base their decisions on their own perspectives, formed after careful and sometimes painstaking assessments, to make the most beneficial choices. They establish control through careful analysis and adherence to procedures and policies, maintaining their distance from difficult human issues. Self-sufficiency is a cherished trait.
As Dr. Chestnut points out, quiet managers establish firm unspoken boundaries, careful to minimize emotional expressiveness, sharing of personal information or inquiring about their people’s lives. They inhabit a very intellectual and thought-provoking world, kept close to the vest.
Do you relate to some of these traits? You may have tendencies that cause you to manage from a distance, with a hands-off approach. Some of your people may appreciate this style; some may struggle with it. Some may consider it so foreign that they’re unsure how to react.
What do you think? I’d love to hear from you. You can call me at 561-582-6060, or, I can be reached here or on LinkedIn.
