What characterizes good managers?
Being a manager is an important career goal for many people. But what exactly does it take to be a good leader? We shed light on what qualities a good lead needs.
Essential skills of good managers
Finding the right candidate for the management level is often a challenge. A senior manager not only needs a certain level of technical expertise, but also special qualities to be able to lead and guide their employees well.
We have summarized some characteristics to make it easier for you to select suitable candidates in the future.
What makes a good manager:
- they are transparent
- listen seriously
- find solutions
- praise and motivate their employees
- criticize constructively
- have a vision
- are not afraid of change
- practice self-reflection
Open communication is the key to good leadership
There is a lot of communication in the company, regardless of whether it is via chat, emails, meetings or the office grapevine. In general, open and honest communication is important to prevent problems and disputes.
Only those who communicate with each other are able to find solutions and develop strategies together. Overcoming conflicts and solving tasks together strengthens the relationship within the team and moves the company forward.
Good managers can praise, motivate and criticize
Praise and criticism are essential for corporate communication. However, a good manager should pay attention to the right balance here, as neither too much praise nor too much criticism is beneficial.
You have probably also had the experience of being criticized. Think about how you felt at the time and what is important to you in such conversations. A good manager puts themselves in the other person’s shoes and should speak to their employees with respect.
Praise can boost self-confidence and increase motivation. If you have received recognition for a company goal, then always pass on the praise to your employees who have worked with you to achieve it. This type of leadership can have a positive effect on employee loyalty.
It is also the lead’s job to take responsibility for mistakes. True to the motto: “Spread the fame and take the blame.”
Criticizing an employee’s work is often not easy. You should be transparent and constructive in your approach. Give the colleague the opportunity to reflect on their work and show them how they can act differently or better in the future.
A good team lead has a vision
How should the company develop in the future? Anyone working in a management position should constantly be thinking about this. Managers who have a vision must also share it. This is the only way that all employees can participate.
The important thing is that visions show a clear direction and are, so to speak, the visual mission statement to which the employees’ actions are aligned. For inspiration, here are two of the best-known visions:
Microsoft: “A computer on every desk and in every home.”
Wikipedia: “Imagine a world in which every single person has a free share in the totality of knowledge.”
A team leader needs creativity and the courage to try new things
Being open to new ideas and trying out a perhaps initially unconventional method can help both you as a manager and the company.
If you think outside the box, new possibilities open up and you can steer your team in a new direction. Thanks to a creative manager, new ideas emerge that can then lead to successful innovations.
In general, it can be said that creativity is in all of us. However, it usually has to be “awakened” first. There are various methods that you can adopt as a manager to do just that. If you have some catching up to do here, you can certainly raise the issue with your boss and get the opportunity for further training.
Fair management pays off
Fairness is an essential quality of a good leader because it is about treating your individual team members equally. As a lead, it is important that you listen to all opinions before making a judgment.
A fair manager, for example, does not exploit their leadership role to enforce certain measures. You should always give your employees a comprehensible reason for a decision. This approach will not create uncertainty about the future and your actions will not be labeled as “unfair”.
Google’s Project Oxygen shows core competencies of good managers
Of course, it is often subjective whether a team lead is good or bad. It also often depends on the team members and the industry.
In 2008, Google launched Project Oxygen. The aim was to prove that the quality of managers has no influence on performance.
Google commissioned a group of statisticians to evaluate the differences between the best and worst rated managers. The data was collected through previous performance reviews, employee surveys, interviews and the like.
However, the data analysis proved exactly the opposite: Good management actually makes a difference. Based on the data, Google has summarized the following 8 core competencies for good leadership.
A good manager:
- is a good trainer
- Encourages the team and does not micromanage
- shows interest in the success and personal well-being of the team members and is concerned about them
- is productive and results-oriented
- is a good communicator – listens and passes on information
- helps with professional development
- has a clear vision and strategy for the team
- has important technical skills that help him or her to advise the team
Now only one question remains: What kind of manager are you?
