To be an effective manager, you must cultivate skills ranging from recognising the hidden potential to being more understanding of your employees. Here are four key traits of successful managers:
Take ownership of all situations.
Great managers take full responsibility for anything that happens. They never say someone else is to blame. But what is it to take responsibility? It has to do with taking the initiative. We take responsibility when we don’t think doing something is someone else’s job.
When you want to set a good example for your team, sometimes it’s better to roll up your sleeves and do the work yourself than to tell them what to do.
To be clear, we’re not talking about micromanagement here. This should not come across as second-guessing everyone’s work, knowing where everyone is and what they’re doing, or being copied on every email. This is about what some might call “bottom-up learning.”
Instead of blaming specific individuals, they identify specific areas of weakness, attempt to learn from defeat, and emerge on the other side in a stronger position. To do so realistically, hold post-project meetings in which you briefly discuss any shortcomings before providing constructive feedback and ideas for improving in the same area moving forward.
Set high expectations from the start.
Great managers set high standards for themselves before they set high standards for their teams. The term “high expectations” comes from the field of education. It usually refers to any effort to ensure that all students in a class, school, or educational system are held to the same standards. The same idea can be applied to business and project management. As is common practice with high standards, a great manager’s role after setting them is to instil confidence that they can be met. Elon Musk inspired a three-step methodology for setting high standards.
- Think Big: Believe that you can achieve anything, so don’t be afraid to set lofty goals.
- Begin small: Divide an enormous task into smaller, more manageable chunks.
- Move quickly: Don’t spend too much time planning. People frequently wait for the “right time” or “resources.” Begin with what you’ve got.
Have high emotional intelligence.
Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognise, understand, demonstrate, control, evaluate, and use emotions positively to communicate and interact with others. According to some experts, emotional intelligence is more important than IQ for long-term success.
A good manager must be able to resolve conflicts, cope with nerve-wracking stress, understand and relate to the emotions of others, and much more.
Emotionally intelligent managers are aware of and in control of their own emotions. They also understand the emotions of the people around them, which helps them deal with difficult situations, lead their teams out of slumps, and solve internal conflicts more effectively.
Managers develop interpersonal relationships.
People who work for the same company tend to get closer to each other. Interpersonal relationships are strong bonds between workers who like the same things and think the same way. A good manager is like a good ship captain, who is in charge of getting everyone on board to go in the same direction. The manager sees their team as a baby who needs to be cared for. Never favour one person over another. Don’t treat some employees better than others.
Interact on a regular basis with team members. As a manager, you must ensure that you speak to everyone, or individuals may feel ignored. At least twice a week, call your team for meetings. Inquire about their health. Check to see if everything is fine with them. As a result, the employee is content and has a positive relationship with his or her superiors. Interaction is essential because it helps people break the ice.
Avoid making comparisons between your team members. Do not publicly criticize any of your employees. Call the person in question to your cabin and gently make him or her realize his or her error. Speak directly to your team members rather than relaying messages through someone, as information may not get through in the desired form, resulting in misunderstandings and, eventually, relationship breakdown. Nothing destroys work dynamics like false rumors
In the event of a conflict among your subordinates, step in immediately. Your team members may argue over trivial matters, but it is your responsibility to guide them and reduce the likelihood of a major conflict. Even minor issues should not be overlooked. If a minor issue is ignored, it can quickly escalate into a major issue.
Conclusion
Being a good manager does not happen overnight. In fact, studies have shown that traits like emotional intelligence develop with age, but at the very least, a good manager should inspire their team to be better whilst also effectively aligning individual team member goals with the organization’s overall goals.
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