Understanding differences in management styles ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

DELIVERING ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS ON THE DAY’S NEWS Brought to you by Alex Panas, global leader of industries, & Axel Karlsson, global leader of functional practices and growth platforms Welcome to the latest edition of Only McKinsey Perspectives. We hope you find our insights useful. Let us know what you think at Alex_Panas@McKinsey.com and Axel_Karlsson@McKinsey.com. —Alex and Axel Learning to lead In the news • Boosting leaders’ brains. Becoming a competent leader is admittedly challenging, but comprehending principles of brain science can help, Fast Company reports. For instance, leaders often must remember everyone’s names, their topics of discussion, and more. A principle called error-driven learning means that “the brain is wired to learn from mistakes and challenges,” according to a neuroscience professor. This suggests that there are advantages to “actively learn by doing rather than passively learn by memorizing,” the professor notes. [Fast Company] • Why management styles matter. Effective leaders know how to engage their teams, and varied management styles can help workers to accomplish organizational goals, MarketWatch reports. In an autocratic leadership style, for instance, leaders have the final say on decision making and hand down instructions to colleagues. This style can be advantageous in a crisis but can also take a toll on morale. Meanwhile, in a coaching management style, managers focus on helping teammates grow professionally and learn new skills. [MarketWatch] Employees whose leaders empower them to make decisions are also over three times more likely to say that their organization’s delegated decisions were swift and high-quality. On McKinsey.com • Authentic leadership. All leaders enable others to accomplish something they couldn’t do on their own. Because good leadership is often expressed through behavior, it’s a skill that can be learned. Getting to know oneself is a key first step, McKinsey senior partners Dana Maor, Kurt Strovink, Ramesh Srinivasan, and senior partner emeritus Hans-Werner Kaas, authors of McKinsey’s latest book, The Journey of Leadership (Portfolio/Penguin Group, September 2024), explain. The most effective leaders are highly conscious of their own thoughts and beliefs and show up with integrity as their fully authentic selves. • Mind your microhabits. Dramatic changes in our behavior can happen in small increments. Microhabits are a pragmatic way of improving yourself in measurable, small steps, says Kaas. These may look very different for different people and will depend on the changes you’re trying to make. Coauthor Srinivasan, for instance, listens to classical Indian music with his wife every morning over a cup of coffee while discussing their intentions for the day. Discover four types of behaviors, including being supportive, that account for 89% of leadership effectiveness. Explore effective leadership behaviors —Edited by Belinda Yu, editor, Atlanta Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here. Or send us feedback—we’d love to hear from you. Follow our thinking McKinsey Insights - Get our latest thinking on your iPhone, iPad, or Android. Copyright © 2024 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007