In this section you’ll find three types of theories. The first comes from the very early days of management when writers tried to identify and describe the functions of management. They tell you what you should be doing. The second type tells you how to do it.

The one thing that none of these theories say is ‘To thine own self be true’ (Shakespeare, Hamlet). What this means in management terms is that if you try to copy someone else’s approach you will fail. You have to become the unique manager that you were meant to be. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have role models. By all means examine the actions of managers you admire. Read the biographies of managers that make the best-seller list. But remember you are not them. You don’t share their personality, life experiences, training or skills. Therefore never copy their actions. Instead, adopt only those ideas that you feel comfortable with and then adapt them to work in your organisation.

The section ends with a third type of theory taken from operational management. This has been included in this section to remind you that managers are not just responsible for manging people – they are also accountable for the economic, efficient and effective use of the organisation’s inorganic resources including cash, stock and fixed assets.

Finally, while reading this section, and the next on Leadership, it is worth remembering that there is a huge literature written by academics and management gurus about the difference between managers and leaders. Many have made a very lucrative career out of differentiating the two functions and telling us that leaders are special and better than mere managers. They suggest that they possess different characteristics and are psychologically very different people. The reality is that anyone who holds a management role has to combine the roles of administrator, manager and leader if they are to do their job effectively.