It is a well-known fact that when employees are happy and thriving in their work environment, it shows in their work performance. The work place has less absenteeism, turnover, and grievances that distract from the actual business at hand. Managers who gain the trust and respect from their employees promote a healthier work place environment. Research has undeniably proven that the success or failure of a business begins and ends with quality management, and how they are able to relate to their employees. The military definition of leadership is, “The process of influencing others to accomplish the mission by providing purpose, direction and motivation” (U.S. Army Handbook, 1973). An effective manager is always compelled to understand the style of communication is based on three key components; him or herself (the manager), the personnel being managed and the situation. Although these two managers that will be used as examples in this paper use many of the same approaches, you will see that there are many differences in the way that they communicate with their personnel in similar situations that each of them encountered. From November 2010 to November 2011, I had the opportunity to interact and work with two different managers who shared the same position. I spent an equal amount of time with both, about six months each. For the purpose of this paper (and privacy), from this point forward I will refer to them as manager one and manager two. While both managers used a combination of similar communication approaches, it was the way they conveyed their messages that separated them. Manager one used the behavioral and empowerment approach in almost all of her dealings with her employees. Manager one could even be referred to as a democratic leader. The democratic leader can be seen in two lights: A good democratic leader encourages participation and