What Makes a Successful Manager?
“Good management is the art of making problems so interesting and their solutions so constructive that everyone wants to get to work and deal with them.” — Paul Hawken
In any business, success depends on a range of factors but chief amongst these is effective management. If those at the top are capable and good at what they do, this percolates down through the organisation and leads to amazing results.
Being a successful manager involves a delicate balance of many skills and personality traits and the following paragraphs outline the key characteristics.
Great leadership
The manager is the team captain whose job it is to motivate and inspire every member of the team to achieve the best results. As a role model, leading by example is important to establish and maintain credibility. A key part of the leadership role is to provide feedback and constructive criticism along with mentoring support, when it is needed, to strengthen the team.
Effective communication
Clear and concise communication is essential to ensure that each team member understands exactly what is expected of them. It must be remembered that communication is a two-way process with listening being an essential element. A good manager will pay careful attention to what members of the team have to say.
Good delegation skills
A good manager will be able to assess the capabilities of team members in order to confidently delegate to those best suited to undertaking the task in hand. They will also be skilled in monitoring performance and providing guidance and support.
Empathy
Being a people person with the ability to genuinely empathise with individual team members is a hallmark of a good manager. This characteristic is vitally important in developing mutual respect and the strong working relationships that drive productivity and business success.
Being decisive
The ability to act decisively is a talent that builds confidence and motivation within the team. Managers who hesitate and fail to reach decisions in a timely manner risk losing the support of their team.
Positive attitude
A positive, optimistic attitude is practically contagious. The manager who leads by example and demonstrates enthusiasm and optimism serves to inspire team members to work harder and smarter to achieve their goals.
Work ethic
Effective managers all have a strong work ethic and are committed to hard work and performing to the best of their ability. They lead by example and as a result inspire team members to reach their full potential.
Goal focussed
In order to achieve success, a good manager recognises the importance of developing SMART objectives and creates an effective strategy to accomplish them. Breaking the strategy down into small steps and involving the team members throughout the process is vital to a successful outcome.
Being a successful manager is demanding and skillful. Good managers need to demonstrate all of the above characteristics in order to lead their teams and businesses to success.