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Managers Typology: The conservative

Steve Balmer. Picture source: Wikipedia

 The Professional manager and the Captive manager    were described in previous posts. 
This post is dedicated to another manager type: The Conservative.

Characteristics of The Conservative Manager

The Conservative Manager's management style is described by his type: His goal is to preserve: The  Organization's Culture, The Business behaviour, The Business Lines, The Marketing Methods etc.

 Major Changes, Revolutions and Innovations are not expected. 
Improved efficiency could be expected. 

 If the Conservative is a CEO or a company's President, then the whole company's patterns will be preserved.
If he is a lower lever manager, then the patterns of the department or domain he is managing, will be preserved.

 Frequently, the Conservative Manager was a classic number 2 or number 3 in the hirarchy. Classic in the above context is a long time employee who accumalated a lot of knowledge about various aspects of the organization's Culture, Business Lines, Business processes, Products, Empoyees and Customers. 

Is The Conservative a good Manager?

The answer is similar to the anser to the same question related to the Professional Manager: Sometimes he is a good manager and sometimes he is not. 

The answer depends on the circomstances as well as on the Manager's characteristics.

 A typical case of a Conservative Manager promotios is when he was number 2 in the hirerchy and a number one Mithological Manager moves on to a new position and/or new challenge. 

 The Conservative Manager replaces him in order to preserve the Orgaizational Culture and approach and move on in the same direction.
Usually, he may be a good Manager as long as Continuation and Presevation are require. 
However, the Modern world is characterized by rapid change rate in which Adaptation is a must.

 The Conservative may or may not adapt to a new type of Leadership.
If he would Adapt successfuly, he may be a great manager.

If he is not capable of changing his Management style he could be an unsuccessful manager. 
 

The Case of Microsoft

Satya Nadella in 2017. Source: Wikipedia

 Steve Balmer was a classic Conservative Manager. For a short period he was the right manager to replace Bill Gates.

 Balmer, a Microsoft veteran, was not a visionary and creative manager, who is capable of adapting Microsoft to new Technological and Business curcomstances.

 When Balmer had to step off due to is inability to adapt the company to new circomstances, Satya Nadella, who joined Microsoft in 1992, replaced him.
Nadella was able to lead significat conceptual changes.
For example, "The Cloud First" approach is a major conceptual change initiated by him.

  
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