Management Is An Organizational System

One of the most common things professionals say about managing is that they have a personal ‘style.’ But does that make sense? Is it reasonable to expect that with all the systems organizations employ, they should leave out how to manage others?

It doesn’t make sense. Management ‘style’ is the most pervasive myth about managing today.

You’ve probably heard managers say that they have a “managerial style.” This is incredibly common. It’s so common, in fact, that most managers - and really almost all professionals - believe it to not just be true, but to be a principle of managing. They believe that every manager gets to decide on their own how they will manage. And yet when you ask them what their style is, they usually cannot describe that style specifically - despite spending a great deal of their time actually doing the things that make up this ‘style’ they’re talking about.

The fact is that managerial ‘style’ is a myth, despite its pervasiveness. Yes, you can have a personality. Yes, you can be yourself. But managers must manage within the organization, and the organization’s systems.