What Makes a Good Manager? Essential Qualities and Behaviors for Stellar Leadership

Stepping into the role of a manager? Big shoes to fill. Why? Because the heart of leadership isn't just about guiding teams to meet targets. It's also about understanding, empathy, and genuine connection. 

Leadership isn't a title; it's a tapestry of behaviors, qualities, and actions.

Ask any employee, and they'll tell you they don't leave companies. They leave managers. Hence, understanding what makes a manager truly 'good' is not just beneficial - it's business-critical.

This article will: 

• Showcase the essential qualities and behaviors that define good managers. 
• How to cultivate the qualities and behaviors that make a good manager. 

"It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led." said Steve Jobs when speaking about innovation and success in corporations.

🌟 What makes a good manager: 11 Essential qualities

Good managers lead and motivate their teams toward successful outcomes based on their essential qualities.

A good manager possesses a blend of interpersonal, organizational, and leadership skills that enable them to effectively guide their team towards achieving shared goals.

Strong communication skills

Communication is a must-have soft skill for an effective leader. When managers communicate well, they convey ideas clearly and are better understood by their teams. This results in better rapport among team members.

But communication works two ways—managers who are strong communicators should also be good listeners.

Active listening is a way for managers to acknowledge their people's points of view and to show respect. "One of the most sincere forms of respect," suggests Bryant H. McGill, a leading author and visionary, "is actually listening to what another has to say."

Good managers are active listeners, not preoccupied with their thoughts or responses but focused on what their people say. They pay attention and ask open-ended questions to encourage transparent, honest conversations. This improves collaboration in teams.

Emotional intelligence

Managers with emotional intelligence are aware of their emotions and those of others, so they interact well with their people and form good interpersonal relationships.

The Harvard Business School outlines 4 elements of emotional intelligence that good managers have:

1. Self-awareness—an ability to recognize your emotions and their effect on you
2. Self-management—an ability to manage your emotions
3. Social awareness—an ability to recognize others' emotions
4. Relationship management—an ability to influence and mentor others

Managers with strong emotional intelligence understand the emotional dynamics of their teams. They show empathy and are sincere in their interactions, fostering trust and a sense of emotional safety in their people. This leads to stronger personal bonds and better workplace outcomes.

Problem-solving skills

Problem-solving skills address challenges and keep operations running even when things don't go to plan.

Managers with strong problem-solving skills overcome obstacles efficiently and increase productivity, leading to better job satisfaction and team creativity, explains Indeed.

Adaptability

Adaptable managers navigate change successfully and stay resilient during times of uncertainty. They respond quickly to unanticipated circumstances and ward off potential threats.

Adaptable managers are respected by their colleagues and motivate their teams to embrace change, suggests the Enterprise Risk Management Academy.

By being able to pivot quickly in the face of change and bringing their teams with them, adaptable managers reduce the potential negative psychological impacts of change. This translates to happier and more productive team environments.

Confidence

Confident managers instill trust in their people.

When your managers are confident, your people view them as credible and persuasive. This translates to better decision-making, as confident managers provide stability and assurance when navigating business complexities.

Confident managers create an environment where risks aren't viewed as threats but are dealt with using judgment and innovation.

Confidence is not the same as arrogance, however, which it's sometimes confused for. Confident managers aren't arrogant and don't seek regular external validation. 

A confident manager knows what they're capable of and boosts the capabilities of their people.

Motivational skills

Motivational skills allow managers to inspire and energize their teams, elevating performance and helping your people bring their best to work.

Motivation is a powerful quality. Psychologists tell us that motivation helps improve performance, enhance well-being, and induce growth and purpose.

Motivated teams benefit organizations, including higher productivity and performance and greater creativity and innovation. This translates to better relationships at work, better customer service, improved workplace culture, and lower absenteeism, as a recent article on business.com outlines.

Inclusive mindset

An inclusive mindset ensures that all your people—regardless of their background, gender, ethnicity, or beliefs—feel valued and included in your organization. Many organizations formally embrace this as part of their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) framework.

Still, an inclusive manager brings it to life.

Inclusive managers reduce biases, promote fairness, and provide broad opportunities for their people's growth and development. This results in better decision-making in organizations by up to 87%, according to research by Korn Ferry.

Inclusive mindsets promote a tolerant company culture and resonate with a broad customer base, particularly as modern societies become more diverse. By promoting and practicing inclusivity, managers make the most of their people's capabilities by harnessing their full diversity of talent.

Accountability

By taking responsibility for their positive or negative decisions, actions, and outcomes, accountable managers foster a culture of trust and transparency.

Workplace accountability boosts productivity, creativity, morale, and overall team performance, suggests the Australian Institute of Project Management.

In contrast, a lack of accountability leads to unclear expectations, mismanaged priorities, a culture of blame, and unmet goals.

People feel safe to be creative and take measured risks when their managers promote accountability. This is because managers who take responsibility for the team's output won't blame their people when things go wrong. This creates an environment where innovation and ideas flourish.

Visionary thinking

Visionary managers look beyond the day-to-day and contemplate future trends, challenges, and opportunities. They're forward-thinking and aspire to long-term goals that reflect a sense of purpose and direction, motivated by their vision for the future. 

Perhaps one of the best-known examples of a visionary leader is Steve Jobs.

"You can't just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they'll want something new", Jobs famously said.

Visionary managers are inspirational and create positive energy in their people. Visionary managers motivate their teams to work toward common objectives by cultivating a shared vision and driving innovation and growth.

Visionary managers are adept at anticipating opportunities, explains the Achieve Center for Leadership. They also master gathering information to take calculated risks. For visionary leaders, inaction can be riskier than taking action, suggests Achieve.

Decisiveness

Decisive managers make informed decisions promptly and confidently, even under pressure or when facing ambiguity. Your people will be more confident when their managers are decisive and feel more conviction in their work.

Decisive managers give clear direction to their people and cultivate a results-oriented approach. This is particularly beneficial in fast-moving environments as it bolsters agility, adaptability, and a proactive stance to staying competitive.

Honesty

Honest managers communicate truthfully and engender trust and credibility with their teams. Your people will appreciate honesty as it demonstrates that they're being valued.

When your managers' actions align with their words, it shows they're authentic. It reinforces the integrity with which they're viewed by their teams.

➡️ Looking to identify the core competencies that are most relevant for your teams? Check out these 30+ examples of general and role-specific core competencies.

💼 What makes a good manager: 9 Key behaviors

While essential qualities define the competencies of good managers, key behaviors bring them to life.

Let's look at 9 of good managers' most critical behaviors.

Leading by example

Managers who lead by example actively demonstrate the values and attitudes that they expect from their teams. They serve as a role model for their people, reinforcing desired practices and promoting a culture of integrity and commitment.

Your people are more likely to follow managers who lead by example. They'll emulate behaviors in a way that brings benefits to your organizations, such as the following, according to Indeed:

• Your managers will earn more respect and trust.
• Your teams will be more productive.
• Your people will be more loyal to your organization.
• Your people will have a clear benchmark for the standards expected of them.

Providing clear direction

While leading by example demonstrates positive behaviors, providing clear direction articulates goals, expectations, and the path forward.

By providing clear direction, managers ensure that their people understand their roles and align their people's efforts more closely with organizational objectives.

Giving clear direction is a powerful behavior for leaders, as illustrated by Irene Rosenfeld, former CEO of global food giant Mondelez. 

During her leadership tenure, Rosenfeld's clear direction steered Mondelez through significant industry changes and activist-investor disruption to consistently add shareholder value.

"The most important role of a leader is to set a clear direction, be transparent about how to get there, and stay the course," says Rosenfeld.

Prioritizing team needs

Managers who prioritize their teams' needs ensure their people have the resources, training, and support to perform well. They also take a genuine interest in employee well-being and encourage their people's personal and professional development.

When managers prioritize their teams' needs, organizations benefit through improved productivity, loyalty (employees and customers), and long-term growth.

A leader who is keenly aware of this is Richard Branson. As founder of the Virgin Group, Branson gave his people what they needed to do their jobs well and advocated for their personal and professional development. Branson helped Virgin achieve significant success and customer loyalty under his leadership.

"Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients", explains Branson.

Being open to feedback

Managers who are open to feedback show their commitment to continuous improvement and growth. Their people feel heard and valued, and in return, they receive candid information to help them make informed decisions and adapt to changing circumstances.

Being open to feedback also builds trust. It demonstrates a degree of humility and a willingness to learn, fostering open communication and supporting better decision-making.

"Leaders who don't know how they're perceived by their staff will suffer when it comes to their team's performance," says Dylan Forbes, MD of Leaderskill.

Building trust

The decisions taken by managers—and their team members—have significant consequences for organizations and their customers.

By building trust with their teams, managers create an environment where people feel secure expressing ideas and concerns. This promotes open communication, encourages collaboration, and increases buy-in for decisions.

Coaching

By effectively applying coaching skills, managers create a supportive environment for their teams by acting as guides rather than dictators. 

While traditional management involves directing teams, the manager-as-coach approach encourages collaboration and two-way communication for day-to-day activities and to find solutions for more significant challenges.

When your managers adopt a coaching mentality with their teams, they'll have a positive impact on:

• employee development;
• alignment between employees and leaders;
• workplace relationships;
• learning and growth mindsets.

Delegating

When managers delegate well, they empower their teams and give them autonomy to take ownership of their decision-making. This boosts team members' confidence and competencies while fostering trust and mutual respect.

Effective delegation is the opposite of micromanagement—it avoids being too controlling over details, which stifles creativity and initiative. "Delegation is the means by which you bring out the very best in the people that you have," suggests Brian Tracy, a business coach and motivational speaker.

Through delegation, your managers free up their time to focus on more strategic and impactful matters. This benefits your organization and managers since they're less likely to suffer from a work overload.

Effective delegation also helps managers motivate their teams, identify successors and candidates for promotion, and improve customer service, writes leadership professor Eli Amdur in a Forbes article.

Solving conflicts

Conflicts can be detrimental to morale and productivity. Hence, managers adept at resolving disputes prevent them from escalating to the point of being harmful.

Managers promote a more harmonious work environment by mediating differences impartially and respectfully. This reinforces the workplace as a safe space for dialogue and diverse opinions, encouraging creative thinking and innovation.

Being trusty collaborators

Managers who encourage collaboration foster an environment where team members work together and apply their diverse skills toward achieving common goals. Good collaboration involves creating synergies, breaking down silos, mutual respect, and open communication.

➡️ Use our leadership competency model to assess your managers' essential qualities and identify any weak points. 

💡 How can you develop the qualities of a good manager: 6 Tips

Having looked at the essential qualities and behaviors that make a good manager, here are 6 tips to help develop those qualities:

Tip 1: Engage in active listening and feedback sessions

Use this tip to develop strong communication skills and emotional intelligence.

Regularly seek feedback and practice active listening to improve understanding and foster open communication. Take coaching skills training to develop these skills in an applied, systematic way.

An example of a leader who did this well is Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo. She listened carefully to her people and believed it was a key component of her leadership. "We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak," advocates Nooyi.

Tip 2: Practice mindfulness and empathy exercises

Use this tip to develop emotional intelligence and an inclusive mindset.

Practice mindfulness and empathy-building to better connect with others. Examples include meditation to help reduce stress, attention training for focus, and reducing distractions by turning off notifications on mobile devices.

A popular exercise to try is the STOP method:

• Stop—take a momentary pause, no matter what you're doing
• Take a breath—focus on your breathing, which brings you back to the present moment
• Observe—acknowledge what's happening within and around you, whether good or bad
• Proceed—get back to what you were doing, having just had a moment to pause

Tip 3: Engage in problem-solving workshops

Use this tip to develop problem-solving skills and decisiveness.

Attend courses or workshops that stimulate critical thinking and decision-making abilities. An example is the workshop on critical thinking offered by the American Management Association, which teaches how to:

• Translate abstract ideas into tangible results.
• Evaluate ideas and adjust assumptions.
• Solve problems based on credible evidence.
• Make better decisions.

An exemplary problem-solving leader is Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. He's known for his hands-on approach and diving deep into technical details with his teams when needed. "When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor," says Musk.

Tip 4: Seek diverse experiences and continuous learning

Use this tip to develop adaptability and visionary thinking.

Embrace new experiences and learning opportunities to stay adaptable and encourage a broader, forward-looking perspective. Try the seven elements of a life-long learning mindset proposed by McKinsey & Company:

1. Focus on growth—shift from a fixed to a growth mindset.
2. Seek mastery—gain in-depth knowledge in different topic areas.
3. Stretch—move beyond your comfort zone.
4. Build a personal brand—focus on personal learning and development.
5. Own your development—embrace your learning journey.
6. Do what you love—find your sense of purpose.
7. Stay vital—prioritize your health and well-being.

Tip 5: Set personal challenges and celebrate achievements

Use this tip to develop confidence and motivational skills.

Set and achieve personal goals, celebrating successes to boost confidence and motivation.

A leader known for conquering personal challenges and celebrating achievements is Oprah Winfrey. From humble beginnings and difficult childhood circumstances, Winfrey became one of the world's most successful media personalities.

‍"It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. The ability to triumph begins with you. Always", espouses Winfrey.

Tip 6: Maintain a reflective journal

Use this tip to develop accountability and honesty.

Keep a journal to reflect on your actions, and be honest by taking responsibility for your decisions. Make the most of reflective journaling using the following suggestions from Devika Das, leadership strategist and Forbes Council member.

• Engage—Collaborate between your outer and inner selves
• Focus—Be committed to the process
• Evoke—Be authentic and confident in your potential
• Plan—Take one step at a time

➡️ Take your managers to the next level with forward-thinking leadership development plans. 

👀 Have a look at our collection of curated individual leadership plans for a boost of inspiration. 

➡️ Zavvy: A good manager's copilot

Zavvy helps managers be their best. 

Boost your managers' capabilities using Zavvy's suite of capable, innovative tools:

• 📚 Learning experience platform—master skills through cutting-edge training and workshops.
• 💼 Leadership development software—proactively develop your managers' competencies and behaviors.
• 🔁 360-feedback software—encourage regular, multi-faceted feedback and engagement between your managers and their stakeholders.
• 💬 One-on-one meeting software—strengthen relationships between managers and their teams through personalized communication.
• 🔗 Connection programs—enhance personal relationships and foster camaraderie between your managers and their teams.

📅 Book a free demo to see how Zavvy can help you bring out the full potential of your managers.