Helping and managing others is hard without understanding what kind of person you are and what areas you can improve in.

Author Andrew Butterworth in “Professional Team Management Tips For Creative Folks “ offers these approaches to managing. However, it is important to note that no one style is “best.” Different situations call for different approaches and you should be able to call on the approach most suited to the need.

Tell
Top-down, you tell them what to do, with no involvement from them. In this style of leadership, information is funneled up, and decisions are funneled down very authoritatively. This style leads to members disagreeing with what they have been told or simply doing what is asked and nothing more.

Tell/Sell
You tell them what to do but try to “sell” them the idea as well. You attempt to sell to your team the benefits of a particular course of action but are essentially telling them to get it done. This style often creates compliant collaborators, people who simply do what has been asked more because of the benefits than because of personal motivation to achieve the objectives. Involve The team feels more a part of it. They are more involved in the direction of their work while still leaving the responsibility of decisions with the manager. Seeking input from the team creates a more enthusiastic team, and sharing ideas often helps generate new ideas.

Co-create
This has potential to harness the talent of your team members best. The manager sets the objectives, but the method of achieving them is largely decided upon by the team. The manager actively involves the team and take their suggestions, often changing her or his mind in favor of a team member’s suggestion.

Source: Smashing Magazine