Looking in the mirror can be a crucial step to becoming a much better manager, it has been claimed.

Writing for the Waltham News Tribune, Manager Mechanics founder and president Eric Bloom explained that self-awareness of one's workplace manner is important, both in terms of how a person sees themselves as well as how others view them.

He suggested he might have been a more effective manager earlier on in his career if he had reflected introspectively at a younger age.

Executives in interim jobs may agree that this sort of advice is difficult to accept as a youth, with Mr Bloom remarking: "On a personal note, 15 years ago I would have read a column just like this one, rolled my eyes, and totally ignored this exact advice. It has only been in recent years that I have come to appreciate the insights and personal wisdom that can be obtained by these types of personal introspection."

But a person's development as a manager has changed over the years, according to The Washington Post's on Leadership blogger Patrick Brigger, who pointed out that authoritarian tactics that were once so popular are continuing to fade each year.

He suggested a "collaborative, empathetic" style has taken over as the dominant philosophy and cited 'Managing from the Heart' as a key book in the evolution of this shift.

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