Being a manager isn’t for everyone. Some people may not be able to make the mindset shifts required to be a great manager, while others may simply prefer to remain in individual contributor roles.
Table of Contents
8 Qualities That Make a Great Manager
For those who want to make the leap from individual contributor to manager, though, there are certain qualities indicative of a good manager. These are qualities beyond the foundational skills that all managers need. In fact, when intentionally developed and honed, these qualities can make a competent manager into a good one and a good manager into a great one.
To become a great manager, focus on developing and honing these eight qualities.
1. Time Management Skills
Good leaders understand that solid time management skills are the key to making progress toward individual, team, and organizational goals. They start by prioritizing tasks according to importance and urgency, and they delegate tasks when possible. They practice good calendar management and make sure they don’t fall prey to time-wasting activities. Finally, they manage their energy and build time into their schedules to care for their own needs to ensure they’re in top condition for the workday.
2. Willing to Defend the Team
Everyone makes mistakes at work. Sometimes, those mistakes are the result of simple error; other times, failure happens even when everyone has planned carefully and assessed risks.
When teams know their leaders will defend them even when things go wrong, they will feel empowered and emboldened to take more risks. A leader who communicates a willingness to defend the team will foster trust,psychological safety, and a culture of healthy failure.
3. Personal Accountability
Too often, accountability is a code word used to engage in blaming, manipulation, or passive-aggressive behavior. Leaders can create an environment of personal accountability—one where all team members hold themselves accountable.
Good managers understand that adults hold themselves accountable. They shift responsibility back to team members with clear parameters and honest, ongoing feedback. Finally, they set the tone by demonstrating personal accountability—admitting mistakes or failures, taking responsibility for their actions, and working to go above and beyond their job description for the good of everyone.
4. Curiosity
Good managers—indeed, good employees at any level or function!—are curious about every aspect of the business. They constantly seek new knowledge to help them stay relevant at work, and they foster a growth mindset on their team.
But healthy curiosity goes beyond just day-to-day work duties. Good managers get to know their people and learn what makes them excited, where they want to grow, and what their long-term goals are. They seek different cultural experiences as well, especially if they manage a cross-cultural team.
5. Open to Feedback
Whether through formal or informal channels, feedback can be tough to process—especially if it’s critical. But good managers understand that they need feedback to become better leaders.
Good managers listen, evaluate, and respond to feedback in healthy ways and regulate their emotions when they receive difficult or challenging feedback. They can manage their inner chatter while also validating and acknowledging areas for improvement. Finally, they can seek ways to improve their performance and actively pursue long-term change.
6. Outside Interests
Humans are at their best when they have more interests than just work. A good manager will balance the workday with other interests—home, family, hobbies, community organizations, and so on.
A variety of outside interests can do much more than just make a manager a well-rounded person. First, they give the brain rest from thinking about work issues; this rest time is often when people come up with solutions in a phenomenon related to the Zeigarnik effect.
Second, hobbies and outside interests can boost confidence, promote out-of-the-box thinking, and help people get into a “flow state,” all of which can improve performance at work.
Finally, outside interests connect people from varied professions, organizations, functions, and levels. These connections can turn into mentoring relationships, career growth, or expanded business opportunities.
7. Integrity
One of the most important qualities of a good manager is often overlooked—until it’s missing!
As the old saying suggests, integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching. Managers with integrity seek to do the right thing even when doing so may bring harm to their own careers. They strive to maintain the highest ethical, moral, and legal standards in all they do.
8. Self-awareness
Everyone has been around a leader who lacks self-awareness. In fact, one study suggests that only 10% to 15% of people exhibit traits of self-awareness. That statistic suggests that many leaders have a long way to go in developing real self-awareness.
Good managers will strive to develop a high degree of self-awareness. They’ll seek feedback, both formal and informal, to find areas for improvement and growth. When feedback diverges from their own perceptions, they’ll investigate why and seek coaching to help if necessary.
No leader is perfect, and every manager has room to grow. But with time and focus, any competent manager can become a very good manager, and very good managers can become great leaders.
The experts at Stewart Leadership have decades of experience developing great managers. To learn more about how we can improve managers across your organization, contact us.
Self-check:
- Is there one quality I should focus on to improve my leadership abilities?
- What are my blind spots? Is there one that comes up repeatedly?
- When did I la
