Top 16 Qualities of a Good Manager and a Leader

In our article, What’s the Difference Between Leadership and Management? We outlined the differences between a leader and a manager. To briefly summarize, people follow managers because they must. People follow leaders by choice—and, it’s ideal for one person to have both qualities.

Top Qualities of a Good Manager

1. Expect Excellence

It is important for a manager to set high yet realistic standards, and expect employees to meet them. Ultimately, the best managers are not those who are the nicest or the toughest, but those who get things done and demonstrate tangible results. Once employees understand that a manager expects excellence—not only their own but that of others—they will likely begin to up their game and perform better, and this is considered to be one of the best qualities of a good manager.

2. Communicate Regularly by Providing Meaningful Feedback in Real-Time

At first, communicating effectively may sound a bit trite, but it is fundamental to sound management. The best and strongest managers are those who are excellent communicators. The ability to provide both positive and negative feedback is a core skill and competency for managers.

3. Don’t Avoid Conflict, but Deal with It Directly and Fairly

Every professional knows that the workplace is a breeding ground for conflict. Issues like compensation, interpersonal problems, cost-cutting, recognition, management-employee relations, layoffs, and many other points of conflict are bound to arise. There is never a shortage of molehills to create mountains out of.

Though it is tempting to turn a deaf ear, the best managers do not avoid conflict and instead address any issues that arise fairly. Employees observe responsibility, and who doesn’t. They are likely to show more respect to those managers who resolve issues immediately than those who ignore the problem or don’t act quickly.

4. Be Open to New Ways of Looking at Things

Adaptability, flexibility, and being attuned to their environment are some of the qualities of a good manager. They always look for new opportunities by listening to what others have to say. It is important to be a good listener, no matter your role. That said, it’s quite common for the best process improvement ideas to come from employees who are relatively low in the organizational hierarchy. A good manager is never afraid to shift from the usual “This is the way we’ve always done it here.”

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5. Accept That You Still Have a Lot to Learn

Once they have attained a management position, managers sometimes forget that they are in the process of learning, too. You may have expertise in their field with years of experience, but keeping your mind open to new ideas is important. A constant learning process fuels professional advancement—and once a manager accepts this and sets continuous improvement as a standard, they become a better manager than before.

6. Set a Good Example

If a manager has an insular mentality, they may struggle to understand subordinates and face difficulty in making them abide by the rules. The same professionalism, commitment, and dedication that the manager demands from his juniors need to be upheld by him, as well.

7. Be Decisive

It is important for a manager to make decisions and stick to them. Employees are generally not comfortable with someone who constantly changes their mind on issues. A confident manager is one who does not fear to be wrong. The best managers use bad situations as learning curves and as examples of what not to do. Employees are generally repelled by those employers who are in denial of the repercussions of the decisions that have been made by them.

8. Be Patient With Yourself

Being able to develop strong skills in leading and managing takes time. Keep in mind all of the above tips. Talk to more people who have been in the role and learn from them. This will improve your skills as a manager.

After learning the top qualities of a good manager, let’s move ahead and learn some qualities of a good leader.

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