10 Things that Make a Terrific Manager

It is often said that employees join companies but leave managers. If you think back on your own career, you will likely see the truth in this statement. We all know what a bad manager looks like, but what about an extraordinary manager? The truth is, it’s not so simple.

What are the qualities that make a standout manager? At a broad level, a great manager motivates their team to achieve outstanding results. A great manager takes accountability. They are fair and honest and will stand up for their team.

Sound familiar? While the behaviors are immediately recognizable when articulated, what is less obvious are the underlying traits that the best managers have internalized, driving their behavior. These traits reflect the character of the individual and get honed with time and experience, and these are the ones to focus on if you are a manager (or want to be one).

In this article, I’ll discuss both the traits and the behaviors that make up the best managers. I’ve distilled these traits from the feedback that I’ve received from the dozens of “new manager trainings” that I’ve conducted at Cadence over the last 15 years. At the start of the sessions, I ask the participants to reflect on their best managers and ask the question, “What made that individual the best manager?” The responses are not just insightful but also remarkably consistent!

Traits of Terrific Managers

I have found that the following traits are distinguishing qualities of outstanding managers:

• They have a growth mindset—a belief that they and their team can learn and grow with time, provided there is a willingness on their part to put in the effort.
• They exhibit a “one team” attitude, leading by example and recognizing the importance of culture— especially a differentiating culture—to sustain team success.
• They display humility in leadership. This is closely tied to culture. “Humility” in this context is not linked with ego. It is about going beyond ego to always work toward the organization’s goals. It’s about actively seeking feedback, giving recognition where it is due, fostering a culture of learning and risk-taking while creating a safe space for failure, and honesty. It takes a confident, mature and self-aware person to display this kind of humility.
• They are fluently ambidextrous in their ability to dynamically balance seemingly contradictory aspects—innovation versus execution, striving for results versus caring for people, strategic versus tactical, thoughtful versus decisive.
• They have a range of tools and styles that they are comfortable with and can draw upon them to deal with different situations and people. This is what I refer to as the “manager’s toolbox”. It is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Great managers can quickly—and with time, often unconsciously—decide which style is appropriate for the situation.

The 10 “Best Manager” Behaviors

It’s important to remember that managers are human beings and are as likely as anyone else to be influenced by a good or bad day at work or home. They are not immune to the complexities and nuances of human interactions, and they also have ingrained personality traits. Despite that, you will find that the best managers will display these behaviors consistently.

Here are what I believe are the 10 “best manager” characteristics:

1. They are a good communicator. Skilled managers communicate with purpose and clarity. They share relevant information proactively to keep their team informed and provide context. They also share the “why” to create alignment and inspire action.
2. They build trust by delivering on commitments, keeping promises and admitting mistakes. A great manager encourages open dialog, so everyone is heard and feels counted, listens actively with an intent to understand and empowers the team (does not micromanage).
3. They are emotionally intelligent. An experienced manager practices empathy and compassion, balances between success and well-being, and relentlessly drives for results while caring for people.
4. They create positivity through praise and recognition. The best managers acknowledge desired behaviors regularly, give recognition publicly, create positive reinforcement and build upon the strengths of team members.
5. They hire for the future. They are self-assured enough to attract people smarter than themselves, keeping the organization’s goals in mind.
6. They create an inclusive team environment. A great manager encourages everyone to participate and makes sure all voices are heard equally. In fact, dissenting voices and diverse ideas are encouraged as they spur creativity and innovation.
7. They collaborate across the organization. The best managers build productive relationships and use them to remove obstacles and clear the path for the team. They are skilled at reading how the organization works and use that information to the team’s best advantage and to the best advantage of the company.
8. They understand the power of the team, and, as such, can guide and coach them by providing timely, constructive feedback. They motivate the team to rise to new heights, support career development to help team members realize their potential and develop leaders. They don’t shy away from giving bad news or taking hard decisions for the good of the organization.
9. They have a clear vision, strategy and aspiration for the team, and are focused, driven and result-oriented in achieving them. Not only that, but a great manager also sets stretch goals.
10. They make good and timely decisions by gathering relevant data, listening to diverse perspectives and, finally, exercising judgment. They communicate decisions and rationales, own the decisions by taking accountability and do not buckle under pressure.

These behaviors seem obvious, and perhaps they are nothing new. But think about how often you or your manager display each of these behaviors consistently? Maybe you or your manager don’t display these behaviors as often as you’d think? And that’s why your best manager was or is the best—because they displayed these behaviors consistently.

Be the Manager People Would Love to Work For

Being a great manager, your team’s idea of a “best” manager, is hard work, but satisfying. For you to grow in your career, you are likely to have to lead a team at some time or another, and learning the art of managing people effectively is essential. We all must choose what kind of manager we want to be and what impact we want to have on our organization and our team.

I like this quote from legendary GE CEO, Jack Welch: “When you were made a leader, you weren’t given a crown, you were given the responsibility to bring out the best in others”.

I always remind new managers that being a manager is a privilege that comes with great responsibility. They are a vital link in the organization’s ability to realize its mission, and they have significant influence on the career trajectories of their team members, and even their lives.

I hope this inspires you to be the best manager you can be, create the magic of best manager experiences for your team members and influence them to achieve greatness. Be the manager that people would love to work for!