Old style management doesn't encourage personal mind control, employees aren't encouraged to think. That was certainly the case when I started work back in the bad old days however it's still prevalent in many businesses today.

It's evident in many of the organisations that I work with that there's a culture of - "I'm the boss - I tell you what to do - you don't question it."

The successful manager doesn't react that way, he or she employs people who think; people with a mind of their own who aren't afraid to say what they think and feel. You need people who question, who challenge you as a manager.

I remember sitting in on a second interview with John, a manager client of mine who was interviewing candidates for a sales job. One of the candidates was a guy called Phil; he was a very strong character, full of questions and suggestions on how the job should be done.

John turned to me when Phil left the room - "That guy's good, I reckon he'd be a good salesman for us, but I don't think I could handle him." John was a much quieter type of person than Phil and I knew he felt uncomfortable with his style.

So I asked John - "What do you want this new salesman to do?" "I want him to bring in new business" said John. "Do you think he can do that" I asked. "Of course I do, I just think he'll be difficult to handle."

Again, it all comes down to outcomes; of course you've got to consider how you're going to work with a new team member but you sometimes need to get out of your comfort zone and take a risk.

John hired Phil and he brought in the new business that John needed. Phil was always a handful and a challenge for John but they learned to work together.