4 traits of a good manager

Good managers are key to successful businesses – not only for ensuring they run smoothly and turn a profit, but in keeping employee morale high and reducing employee turnover.

But hiring and keeping good managers is far from easy, and the repercussions of hiring a bad manager can be beyond detrimental. So what is it that sets a good manager apart from a bad manager?

Here are our top four traits of a good manager:

Integrity

Managers model integrity by making decisions based on public values rather than personal gain. They do what they say and do what’s right regardless of the circumstances or personal consequences. Acting with integrity fosters respect with employees and ultimately promotes a positive work environment.

The integrity of an organization and its employees is also a genuine driving factor for customers, who want to do business with customers who can be trusted to keep their word.

Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching

Decisiveness

A good manager is one who can ultimately make difficult decisions when and where they are required and own the outcome from their decisions. Openly and clearly articulating their reasons for a decision fosters a spirit of trust and understanding from their colleagues.

Good managers also empower their employees to make appropriate decisions themselves, not become a barrier by requiring input into every decision.

You cannot make progress without making decisions

People person

The best managers understand that the cornerstone of any business is their employees: look after them and the rest will take care of itself. It’s therefore critical that a manager passionately cares about their team and actively demonstrates this, for example by:

·       Understanding what motivates (or de-motivates) each employee

·       Making provisions for individual circumstances

·       Expressing recognition and appreciation for personal achievements

·       Making employees a priority during their work-day

·       Empathizing with employees and asking what they can do to help

·       Caring for and treating others with kindness and respect

·       Looking for opportunities to promote growth and learning

The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things

Accountability

A manager with strong accountability takes responsibility for achieving their goals and ownership for their results, regardless of the outcome. They are forthright in reporting when objectives have not been achieved and look at finding ways to improve to ensure success next time. As the team lead,  many managers also take responsibility for any failures on behalf of their team, rather than ‘passing the buck’ down.

Holding themselves accountable for decisions is a leadership quality that promotes respect and trust from team members, encouraging individuals to also take responsibility for their own actions.

To function effectively, a business requires leaders who are accountable for driving success