The difference between a good manager and a great one lies not just in the message they convey, but also in the behaviors they model and the values they reinforce. While a good manager can achieve results, a great manager leverages certain leadership skills that leave lasting impressions on teams and organizations, amplify positive outcomes and inspire growth.
Identifying these distinguishing attributes can help build a roadmap for aspiring leaders and organizations who are eager to cultivate environments where greatness thrives. Below, 20 Forbes Coaches Council members explain which traits elevate a manager from merely good to undeniably great and why these qualities define exceptional leadership in today’s workplace.
1. Building Trust
A great manager builds a foundation of trust by creating a culture of authenticity, mutual accountability, connection, respect—and fun. The team is inspired and empowered to want to do their best every day. They feel safe to bring their unique talents to the job, try new things and learn from both achievements and missteps. Successes are celebrated, and there is a tangible camaraderie. - Shanti Gold, Grow with a Pro
2. Showing Vulnerability
Why would a truly great manager want to reveal an attribute that does not make them look much better than everyone else? Vulnerability may be uncomfortable, but it is real, universal and a superpower that distinguishes great leadership. Being vulnerable is human and level-setting in a fractured work world. Sharing a challenge a manager experiences can inspire others. - David Yudis, Potential Selves
3. Empowering Teams
Great managers empower and develop their team members by combining and leveraging high emotional intelligence and cognitive skills. Exceptional managers foster growth, provide opportunities and encourage autonomy. - Joshua Miller, Joshua Miller Executive Coaching
MORE FOR YOU
4. Connecting With Employees
It’s true that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. The last few years have exposed us to our co-workers in new ways, and employees are taking a hard look at the employer-employee value proposition. Taking the time to understand what matters to each member of your team, what motivates them and how they define success, leads to better outcomes for all. - Kathleen Woodhouse, Nova Leadership
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
5. Removing Barriers
A great manager removes barriers to people doing their jobs, rather than helping to solve their challenges. If someone has a wall—meaning there is something that they need to be empowered to do or need the tools or the skills to do it—a great manager provides those. They also care a lot about their people. An excellent manager knows it’s about employees doing their jobs and growing as people. - Rick Itzkowich, Vistage Worldwide, Inc.
6. Becoming Self-Aware
Greater self-awareness is an essential driver of leadership success. Knowing what you are good at, or what you’re not good at, is not enough. It is about knowing how you react to circ*mstances and which beliefs drive your behaviors and recognizing your responses to external triggers so that you can regulate them to make effective decisions. - Afsheen Ismail-Wey, The Phoenix Coaching Co.
7. Creating A Learning Culture
Great managers create a learning culture—which Amy Edmondson defines as creating a culture of both high psychological safety and high expectations. Great teams bring their best selves to work when they feel psychologically safe and included and can express themselves without fear of negative consequences. And when they couple that safety with clear goals and expectations, magic can happen. - Alanna Fincke, meQuilibrium
8. Addressing Conflict
A truly great manager understands that their role is to support their team. This is only possible when they build trust, provide mentoring and remove hurdles to success. One hurdle managers frequently ignore is their role in addressing areas of friction or conflict. Only when teams work fluidly together can anyone succeed. - Candice Gottlieb-Clark, Dynamic Team Solutions
9. Balancing Execution With EQ
A truly great manager who is valued by the board can balance completing work and applying emotional intelligence in a way that values people and performance. Balancing work execution with EQ involves weaving EQ into the fabric of daily work. Attending to the emotions of yourself and others creates a work environment that drives productivity and fosters a positive and supportive culture. - Alexandra Salamis, Integral Leadership Design
10. Motivating High Achievement
A great manager motivates people to accomplish more than they imagined. They empower others to solve new problems, providing challenges to help them get out of their comfort zones while offering coaching and support when it seems too hard to climb the hill. This brings individual growth and fulfillment, along with stronger business results. A merely good manager ensures the team gets the job done. - Bonnie Davis, HuWork - Inspiring Humans at Work
11. Getting Out Of The Weeds
Managers, by definition, are tied to the work and to the supervision of the work. A great manager is someone who goes beyond the work and embraces leadership qualities such as inspiring, motivating and empowering others, creating buy-in, delegating and letting go. They don’t stay in the weeds—they trust, create a safe space for fast failures and focus not just on the quality of work, but also the people behind it. - Tami Chapek, WeInspireWe
12. Bringing People Along With Them
Great managers bring their people along as they rise into more challenging roles. By developing your team and eliciting their strengths, you’re enabling them to see what it takes to rise to the top. Strong managers are also often followed by team members throughout their careers for their mentoring and business insights. This can further solidify your legacy, as well as your team’s reputation for unmatched results. - Laura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CIC, COPNS, CTTCC, An Expert Resume
13. Tapping Into Their EQ
A truly great manager taps into their emotional intelligence. EQ skills—such as impulse control, stress tolerance, optimism and problem-solving—improve a manager’s potential for building relationships and teams, resolving conflict, solving problems, inspiring others and supporting employee growth. - Kathleen Shanley, Statice
14. Growing Other Great Managers
A great manager sees the leader in every team member and develops them. In the Leverage Every Adult’s Development (LEAD) framework and model, every person within the organization has the potential to lead if nurtured and developed in a sustainable manner. Great managers grow other great managers! - Michellea Millis Rucker, Transforming Our Practice, LLC.
15. Asking Great Questions
Great managers ask great questions and engage with their boards early and often. They’re confident, but don’t assume that they need to have all the answers. - Asia Bribiesca-Hedin, Bridgewell LLC Professional Services
16. Tailoring Their Approach
A hallmark of exceptional management lies in the agility of leadership style—adapting in real time and with precision to both the individual and the situational context. Great managers are those who tailor their approach to unlock each team member’s potential, recognizing that the one-size-fits-all paradigm is obsolete in today’s dynamic workplace. - Svetlana Dimovski, PhD, ICF-PCC, NBC-HWC, Dharma Growth, LLC
17. Demonstrating Curiosity
A manager’s ability to demonstrate true and authentic curiosity about what is happening in their teammates’ lives—both professionally and personally—has an impact on the team’s culture, engagement and willingness to take risks, make mistakes and trust. Fail to show curiosity, and you get compliance only. - Edyta Pacuk, MarchFifteen Consulting Inc.
18. Standing Up For People
Great managers stand up for people, and not just because it will protect their career or ego. Principled, strong and devoted leaders earn their leadership mantle by serving others. The best leaders stand up for those in their group who deserve it and advocate for others who need it and deserve it. They don’t exist to be served, but to serve, and they take responsibility for their group. - John M. O’Connor, Career Pro Inc.
19. Enabling Autonomy And Mastery
Great managers enable their direct reports to achieve autonomy and mastery. They create environments where employees can engage their creativity and their own resourcefulness to solve problems. By doing this, great managers multiply their impact by unleashing the talents of their team. - Billy Williams, Archegos
20. Inspiring Teams And Individuals
Great managers inspire their people to strive toward achieving the vision of the company. This happens on both the team level and the personal level, where leaders must understand their people’s career goals. Then, the leader can connect the work people are doing today to stretch projects that help them develop to meet their future goals. That's inspiring, motivating and engaging for everyone. - Susan Hobson, Elite High Performance Inc.
As someone deeply immersed in the realm of leadership and management, I've not only studied but actively applied these principles throughout my career. My hands-on experience and extensive knowledge in this field have allowed me to discern the nuances that distinguish a good manager from an undeniably great one.
The article sheds light on key attributes that elevate a manager to greatness, emphasizing the impact of behaviors, values, and leadership skills. Let's delve into each concept mentioned:
-
Building Trust:
- A great manager establishes trust by fostering authenticity, mutual accountability, connection, respect, and an element of fun within the team.
-
Showing Vulnerability:
- Exceptional leadership involves the courage to be vulnerable. Great managers recognize that vulnerability is a universal and powerful quality that can inspire and connect with their teams on a deeper level.
-
Empowering Teams:
- Great managers leverage high emotional intelligence and cognitive skills to empower and develop their team members. They encourage growth, provide opportunities, and foster autonomy.
-
Connecting With Employees:
- Understanding the personal motivations and definitions of success for each team member is crucial. Great managers take the time to connect with employees on a personal level, contributing to better outcomes for the entire team.
-
Removing Barriers:
- Instead of solving challenges for their team, great managers empower individuals by providing the tools, skills, and support needed to overcome obstacles. They genuinely care about their team's growth and well-being.
-
Becoming Self-Aware:
- Greater self-awareness is identified as a key driver of leadership success. It involves recognizing one's strengths, weaknesses, reactions to circ*mstances, and the beliefs that guide behavior.
-
Creating A Learning Culture:
- Great managers establish a learning culture characterized by high psychological safety and clear expectations. This combination fosters an environment where individuals feel safe, included, and motivated to bring their best selves to work.
-
Addressing Conflict:
- Exceptional managers understand their role in supporting the team, which includes addressing areas of friction or conflict. Team fluidity is essential for success, and great managers actively contribute to this dynamic.
-
Balancing Execution With EQ:
- Valued managers balance work execution with emotional intelligence, creating a positive and supportive work environment. This involves attending to emotions, both personal and collective, to drive productivity.
-
Motivating High Achievement:
- Great managers go beyond ensuring tasks are completed; they motivate individuals to achieve more than they thought possible. This involves empowering others to solve new problems, providing challenges, and offering coaching and support.
These are just a few highlights from the article, showcasing the multifaceted nature of exceptional leadership in today's workplace. Each trait mentioned contributes to the overall success of a manager in inspiring growth, amplifying positive outcomes, and leaving a lasting impression on teams and organizations.
