It Is Very Difficult to Define a Perfect Advisor. However, Very Informally I Can Categorize Advisors into Two Categories:
The One who manages more: How can I define an over ambitious advisor. Perhaps someone who is young, highly enthusiastic and has the energy and the inclination to simultaneously contribute towards each and every effort and work that you do. He has the capacity to work extra hours and be involved whole heartedly in all your endeavours. The downside if having an advisor like this is that like the way he works insane hours, his expectations from you also remain the same. With an advisor like this, he may want publish early and so pressurize you also to work towards early publication. With an advisor like this, you would surely graduate with an outstanding profile.
The one who manages less: An advisor who falls in this category is older and has a lot of commitments that go beyond his work periphery. He may have obligations that could be family related social or even administrative within the university. This kind of advisor would give you your space and time to work without actually showing up your presence on everyday basis. With the experience that he has earned over the years, he has the belief that a PhD is all about self-discovery and a researcher is always motivated and self-disciplined to excel.
There are more categories of advisors that could be extremes on either side of the continuum or a combination category of advisors. However, I am sure you would be able place your advisor in either of these two categories and it is very difficult to conclude who would be a perfect manager. As a scholar, it depends what matches with your style of working. For me, I think I would work better with a more active one, though at the same time I hold a lot of respect for the under mangers.
You need to be cautious of your physical and mental health when you work with the first category because the kind of pressure it would create can overwhelm you
I could really relate my guide to the secind category as mentioned in this post. I get very less chance to discuss with him as he has very less time to invest. I have been taking advises from my peers on the same, however, still feel a lack of advise from an older and experienced person from my field. Is there a possibility of help here?