Understanding the various management styles is crucially important to managerial success because it allows the thoughtful manager to choose the right style for each employee, circumstance, type of work, and environment. If you are to maximize your effectiveness as a manager, you must be able to apply the appropriate managerial approach in each situation.

There's another reason why style matters: it goes a long way toward determining the atmosphere of your office and the way employees interact and communicate with you. Your style says a lot about how you view your employees and what you expect of them, and will do much to shape their perceptions of you.