How to Spot the Leadership Styles That Are Driving—or Draining—Your Company’s Growth
If you’re a CEO aiming to grow your company, you already know that strategy and execution matter. A critical factor for success relates to who you have leading your teams.
That’s where leadership style comes in. Not the buzzwordy kind, but the real, everyday behaviors that shape your culture, your people, and your performance. Two styles tend to show up most clearly: the “I Manager” and the “We Manager.”
You’ve likely got a mix of both. The question is—do you have enough of the right kind?
The “I Manager”: High Output, Higher Cost
“I Managers” can look impressive at first glance. They hit their KPIs. They run tight meetings. They know how to present a win.
But dig deeper and a pattern emerges. These managers:
- Prioritize personal visibility over team outcomes.
- Micromanage to maintain control.
- Take credit but deflect blame.
- View people as resources, not potential.
- Hoard information to protect their position.
They may deliver short-term results, especially in high-pressure environments. But the long-term cost is steep: high turnover, disengaged teams, and stalled innovation. If your best people are quietly leaving, look closely—you may have an “I Manager” problem.
The “We Manager”: Growth-Focused and People-Powered
“We Managers” take a different approach. They understand that performance is tied to how well their teams do, rather that just what they personally deliver.
They’re the leaders who:
- Put collective success ahead of personal recognition.
- Empower their people to make decisions.
- Seek input from all levels.
- Invest in development and mentorship.
- Share information freely to build trust and speed.
The results? Stronger loyalty, greater innovation, and deeper leadership pipelines. These are the people quietly building the culture your business needs to scale.
Side-by-Side: The Real Differences
| Category | “I Manager” | “We Manager” |
| Motivation | Personal success | Team success |
| Team Morale | Low: competitive & mistrustful | High: collaborative & supported |
| Retention | High turnover | High loyalty |
| Culture | Siloed & political | Inclusive & growth-oriented |
| Innovation | Micromanaged, slow | Autonomous, creative |
| Leadership Pipeline | Weak | Strong |
Why This Matters for Your Company’s Success
A company with too many “I Managers” is fighting itself from the inside. Ideas get buried. Politics take over. Risk-taking dries up.
With more “We Managers,” trust builds, people stay, and your teams begin operating like a true force multiplier. Culture improves. Strategy execution accelerates. And you’re not just hitting targets—you’re building the kind of company people want to be part of.
So Ask Yourself:
- Which kind of manager is getting promoted here?
- Are your rising stars developing others, or are they just building their own brands?
- Where is innovation stalling, and who’s leading those teams?
- Who’s quietly growing people, and who’s burning them out?
It’s not about assigning blame. It’s about recognizing the styles that are shaping your company’s future—and making intentional choices about which ones you want to cultivate.
Because in the end, leadership isn’t just about delivering results. It’s about how those results are achieved—and whether they’re sustainable.
