Autocratic

• Managers who use the autocratic style have final say in every decision. They follow their vision without input from anyone else. This style is advantageous for managing smaller departments or specific projects. The autocratic management style loses its effectiveness in larger companies. A sole manager trying to oversee every aspect of a sizable company will find it impossible to address every issue properly. This type of micromanagement leaves room for error and is a significant cause of employee dissension.
  
  

Democratic

• A manager who employs the democratic style does not make a final decision until it is voted on by the majority of the company. This is more common in companies with a large number of equal shareholders. Managing a company democratically involves giving up your control as a manager. Ultimately, any decision you make can be overridden by the majority. In a smaller company, this can render the position of manger null and void as you have no real authority.
  
  

Participatory

• A participatory management style is similar to the democratic style. Although a number of people still have a say in management decisions, final approval rests with the manager himself. The idea is to listen to a select group of people, typically middle management, and incorporate their suggestions when making a final decision. This is an effective approach because it allows lower-level management to feel like they have a say, while not giving up your managerial control.
  
  

Delegated

• The delegated management style is the polar opposite of the autocratic style. Although an autocratic manager has his hands in everything, a manager with a delegated style remains as hands-off as possible. He assigns tasks to lower-level managers and trusts them to handle their individual tasks. This way, each portion of the company is managed by an individual with his own style. The upper manager does not step in unless one of the other managers is not doing the job properly. This style fosters a lot of trust, but opens the company up to problems if one of those delegated managers performs poorly.