9 Key qualities of a successful manager

There are a number of qualities that make someone be a successful manager, and as such this is not an exhaustive list. However, there are nine key qualities that most successful managers exhibit. Learning more about these skills and working to improve them yourself can help you become a more effective manager.

• Empathy

Empathy is one of the hardest skills to learn, but also one of the most valuable in the long run. Empathy is the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings. Sometimes, it’s confused with compassion. However, while compassion is the ability to show sensitivity to another person’s feelings, empathy is when you can truly understand their perspective. It’s often described as putting yourself in another person’s shoes. Approaching someone with empathy helps you truly understand the reasons and motivations behind their actions. As a manager, it helps you connect more deeply with your employees and better understand how to help them succeed in their roles.

How to be a successful manager by being empathetic at work?

Empathy begins when you step outside your own mindset and put yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand them. Here are two tips to help you be more empathetic in the workplace:

• Be open: To understand another person’s perspective, you need to ask them about it. Taking the initiative to open the channels of communication will help build trust and give you the opportunity to learn.
• Actively listen: Listening is a skill and there is no point in asking questions if you are not going to actively listen. Make your employees feel understood and heard by using non-verbal cues, such as eye contact, and by giving them verbal encouragement to let them know that you value and validate their feelings.

• Trust

Having confidence as a leader in the workplace is a benefit to both you and your team. Building your own confidence can help you make decisions more efficiently and consistently. It also prevents you from feeling threatened by the opinions of your team members, which leads to better dialogue in the workplace and ultimately, better performance. Your confidence will inspire confidence in your employees and give them the freedom to step out of their comfort zone, as they know you will be there to guide them.

How to be a successful manager by increasing confidence at work

Confidence is a personality trait that can be built and honed. Here are two ways to boost your confidence in the workplace as a manager:

• Ask for feedback: Getting feedback can be difficult at times, but all feedback is valuable. Ask your team what you’re doing well and what could be improved.
• Study up: Competence is directly related to confidence, and we become competent through study and repetition. There are numerous books, podcasts, and courses you can take to improve your management skills and, therefore, your confidence. 

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• Transparency

The modern employee expects transparency from their leaders. They want to know the motivation behind your decisions and how your choices will affect them. Above all, they want to be treated like an adult and with respect. Your honesty will go a long way in creating a transparent work culture.

How to be a successful manager by being more transparent at work

Deciding exactly how to be transparent about your business and your decisions can be difficult. Here are two ways to be more transparent in a work environment:

• Be honest: Honesty is key to transparency. Your employees want to hear the truth, not a modified version to appease them. Being honest will make it easier for your employees to help you achieve your goals.
• Communicate: Keep an open channel of communication between you and your employees. Fostering a culture of asking questions and providing feedback in both directions will help you and your employees improve.

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• Reliability

For your employees, having a leader they can trust means that you are there to support them. Developing a sense of trust in your abilities and leadership will help your employees believe in your mission and decisions. But just like building trust in any relationship outside of work, building trust in the workplace requires intentional action on your part. Making that effort will allow you to create a healthier, more collaborative workplace.

How to be a successful manager by building trust with your employees

To start building the sense of trust your employees are looking for, try these two tips:

• Listen to your employees: Like many of the other skills we’ve discussed so far, listening is a critical step in building trust. Listening makes your employees feel valued and helps you understand what they need at work.
• Be consistent: Making decisions that feel arbitrary or inconsistent makes it hard for your employees to trust you. Be consistent in the way you give feedback or communicate updates so your employees always know what to expect from you.

• Responsibility

Accountability is one factor that can affect trust and transparency. After all, leaders are people too, and will make mistakes. What matters most is how you react to those mistakes. A good leader takes responsibility for his or her actions and uses mistakes as an opportunity to find a better way forward in the future.

How to be a successful manager by improving responsibility in the workplace

As a manager, you need to take responsibility for yourself and hold others accountable as well. Here are two tips for being more responsible in the workplace:

• Define expectations: Clearly communicating company expectations and your employees’ roles will help them understand and fulfill their responsibilities. It will also help them understand what to expect from you as their manager.
• Set goals: Having goals will allow you to track the effectiveness of certain tasks and the progress of different projects. Being able to observe these factors can help you and your employees stay on track with the responsibilities you are charged with.

• Good listener

Many aspects of being a successful manager involve listening, so improving your listening skills is always important as a leader. Keeping your ears and mind open helps you stay on top of your company culture and your employees’ needs. Being receptive to conversations with your employees, whether group or individual, can help you uncover areas for improvement. It also makes your employees feel more supported and empowered in their workplace.

How to be a successful manager by improving your listening skills

Becoming a better listener is all about engagement. Here are two tips to improve your listening skills:

• Stay active: Active listening means that you are fully engaged in the conversation. One way to show that you are attentive is to repeat what was said to you in your own words to make sure that you and the person you are talking to are on the same page.
• Practice: Listening isn’t easy for everyone, especially when there are other external stimuli like technology that also demand your attention. If you have difficulty listening in the workplace, try practicing outside of the workplace with friends and family, and ask them for feedback to improve. 

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• Communications

Communication is one of the most important parts of your job as a manager. Your employees’ ability to do their jobs depends on your ability to communicate your expectations and delegate tasks effectively. Use clear, concrete language along with a respectful tone to help your employees understand what you need from them.

How to be a successful manager by improving your communication skills

Communication involves making intentional choices about the words you use and how you convey them. Here are two tips to improve your communication skills:

• Know your goals: Before you communicate a need, whether verbally or in writing, define the goal of the communication. Use that goal as your guide to ensure your communication stays on track and clear.
• Be mindful of your volume and tone: Acting without thinking can be a complication for effective communication. Give yourself time to process an event before responding, to ensure your comments are reasonable and actionable.

• Optimism

Optimism is an often-underrated quality of a successful manager. As a leader in your company, your tone and demeanor have the power to influence the entire company culture. How you deal with adversity will influence how others on your team deal with it. Staying optimistic in the face of difficulties will help others do the same and will contribute to your entire team actively working toward a resolution rather than succumbing to pressures and stressors.

How to be a successful manager by promoting optimism at work

Optimism in the workplace comes from maintaining a positive attitude. Here are two ways you can maintain positive thinking in the workplace:

• Show appreciation: It takes very little effort to acknowledge a job well done or simply say “thank you.” Showing appreciation for your team members’ efforts will help cultivate a positive culture.
• Be constructive: When changes are needed, provide feedback in a constructive manner. Avoid criticism and instead acknowledge what went well and offer concrete recommendations for areas that need improvement.

• Authenticity

Authenticity goes hand in hand with many of the other qualities of a great manager that have been discussed so far. Authenticity means being true to yourself in the workplace and finding a management style that feels natural to you. People are drawn to authenticity, and your employees will find it easier to trust and bond with you if they feel like they are working with the real, authentic you.

How to be a successful manager by being more authentic at work

Authenticity means bringing your real self to work every day. Here are two tips for being a more authentic “you” at work:

• Show your personality: Giving your employees the chance to get to know who you really are will help them empathize with you and understand your leadership style. Don’t be afraid to have conversations about your hobbies, passions, and goals to give your employees inside information about you.
• Be honest: Authenticity is built on honesty. If you can’t be honest and own up to your actions in the workplace, your employees will be able to tell, and this will lead to less trust in your leadership.

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Conclusion

How to be a successful manager and successful leader

Being a successful manager involves more than just having the ability to delegate tasks. It means supporting and encouraging your employees so they feel empowered and can do the best work possible on your behalf. Becoming a good leader isn’t something that happens overnight. There’s always something to learn and ways to improve. As you work on your management skills, prioritize empathy, communication, and authenticity to develop a culture where you and your employees can thrive.

We hope that you now have a clearer idea of How to be a successful manager.

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Contact with IBAS: +201000498154