Which CEO do you think is most effective? The one whose management style matches the company's culture or the one whose management style clashes with it? Many will point to the first type. But research in the field shows that it is often just the opposite.

It might sound a bit illogical, because more of one thing must give better results. But if you think of a company like a good steak, then it tastes better with both salt and pepper. Top executives whose management style clashes with the company's culture add something to the company that it didn't already have and enable it to take advantage of several different facets and opportunities. You may see other possibilities or are better able to react in situations where the company's culture might dictate one direction, but where the top manager's management style opens up to see other possibilities.

Based on data collected from 114 CEOs and 324 members of top management teams in US organizations, the researchers showed that CEOs who use a leadership style similar to the organization's culture have a negative effect on company performance. Instead, firms are most effective when the CEO's leadership style and organizational culture are different.

Based on data collected from 114 CEOs and 324 members of top management teams in US organizations, the researchers showed that CEOs who use a leadership style similar to the organization's culture have a negative effect on company performance. Instead, firms are most effective when the CEO's leadership style and organizational culture are different.

A couple of the researchers' explanations on the phenomenon, is that when the management style and culture are the same, then redundancy occurs and at the same time an excessive focus is created on the measures that have worked previously in the organization. So less new thinking is done. If, on the other hand, there is a difference between the company's culture and the manager's management style, it opens up new opportunities and more ways to handle and think about a challenge.

However, the researchers emphasize that these results do not mean that a manager cannot be a mismatch in relation to a company. Of course they can - there are countless examples of that. Instead, the researchers want to encourage managers to look at what things an organization lacks and adapt their management style so that it provides this.