It's a question that's dogged organizations forever and probably one that's destined to go unanswered; 'What makes a good manager?'
The truth is that everyone has a different answer to that question. Every industry has a different standard that they expect their management candidates to meet. Specific job scopes and market characteristics mean that there isn't a one-size-fits all template for effective management.
If there was, it would've been implemented across the board ages ago.
However, there are universal qualities that every employee can cultivate to make themselves worthier of higher office. Workplace cultures may vary, but certain qualities they wish to see in their leaders are universal.
For example, all managers in every type of organization must be responsible for workplace cohesion. Their leadership responsibilities extend from the administrative to the analytical. The strategic vision required to develop and distribute a product/service within limited resources, effectively communicate with your clients and pay close attention to market trends, all demand a common set of skills.
Here are four leadership qualities that every effective manager must possess.
The first and most fundamental skill. If a manager doesn't have communication skills, a team doesn't have cohesion and you've failed before you've even begun.
A manager practices effective communication through active listening. If you are not open, or worse - hostile, to input from your team, you won't receive any of the constructive feedback necessary to improve your own decision-making. And you will be robbing your most talented colleagues of the opportunity to contribute and grow where they can.
Being more open also gives you the opportunity to offer clarity to employees who many not understand the assignment just yet.
Great managers are only as good as the people around them. And one of the best way to help them raise their game is to delegate tasks that challenge them to grow. The process is more nuanced than it sounds.
Delegating strategically isn't about transferring a ton of responsibilities on to your subordinates and seeing which ones sink or swim. It's about encouraging your most promising candidates to seize the initiative by distributing the necessary assignments that would help expand their unique skill sets.
Start with small tasks before delegating larger responsibilities to them. A gradual introduction to management duties is more encouraging for candidates.
Confidentiality is important in management-level decision making, but so is honesty.
Never forget that your colleagues are stakeholders in your organization who will need to understand the full scope of any given situation before they can be asked to effectively deal with it. Putting certain information on a "need-to-know" basis, particularly if it's bad or distressing, is an understandable kneejerk reaction , but it isn't the wisest.
The goal of withholding such info from the team in the first place is to ensure a state of panic doesn't discredit your leadership and the organization's reputation, but that concern is moot when team confidence could be better served by welcoming team input into designing a solution.
Regardless of how sensitive the process, transparency denotes trust and a workforce that feels trusted is one that will be more motivated to tackle any challenge facing them. People fight harder when they feel like they have skin in the game.
Effective managers should strive to ensure their employees feel that way.
Managers cannot be reactionaries. They must be guided by a long-term strategic vision that determines the end result of their decisions. A careful and deliberate analysis of various risk factors must always be at the forefront of their policies.
It's all about clarity.
Managers must cultivate the sort of strategic thinking that highlights the kind of ideas, goals and contingencies that would be most effective for their organization. Though this sounds like an obvious process, it certainly isn't easy. It involves comprehensive research and analysis to build the right sort of narrative to figure those things out.
Strategic thinking is something that shouldn't ever be neglected in a manager's mind because it's a direct reflection of how much priority they're giving to the company's vital signs.
At the end of the day, being a good manager means being able to should the most responsibility successfully. It's neither simple nor easy. It means setting the highest standard in the workplace and demonstrating the most exemplary leadership.
You could be the most talented and experienced person for the job and still find it incredibly challenging. It takes time, patience and a willingness to learn new lessons in an ever-changing world to became an effective manager.
As unpredictable as things can get thought, when in doubt, return to the tried and trusted qualities like those mentioned above. Regardless of the circumstances or future changes in management styles, these qualities will always be essential principles for leadership.
Thank you for reading our piece. We hope it was useful for you. If you're interested in upskilling yourself or your team, click on any of the recommended courses below for more information.
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