I don't think his approach can usefully be understood as a soft touch, "buddy buddy" one. Compared to Mourinho yes, but then that's true for practically anyone. At least against a scandinavian background, the most striking aspect of OGS' management style is how normal it is - that it stands out as something extraordinary says much more about how abnormal elite football has been in this regard than about anything else. It fundamentally really just looks like common sense, perfectly normal personnel management, the same any capable middle management person would use in any line of business. If you want people to develop and perform at their best, you help them find their strong areas and work on them, and instill a sense of confidence and mutual trust. Positive motivation works better than fear. Ultimately players have to take ownership of and responsibility for their own development and performance. And you treat people with respect, if you want them to behave loyally and responsibly. At the same time, you set standards for delivery and performance that you hold people to. Much easier to get acceptance for that than for some murky personal judgment that this or that player isn't trying hard enough or whatever.
None of that takes anything away from OGS - while the approach is simple and commonplace, it takes a lot to implement with such success, especially in an environment as fraught as that of a top PL club.