What Makes A Great Manager Great?
By Raymond Sahley
A great manager is someone who can provide direction for a team in a results oriented environment and due so with ease.There are many managers in positions of authority who are terrible managers and certainly not great managers.Because of this the truly great managers are always in high demand and can expect to earn more than their peers.
I believe there are three types or categories of managers.
You obviously have the bad managers, whom typically don’t last long in any position of power.They are erratic in behavior and cannot or don’t understand how to be effective and produce results in a leadership role.They cannot separate their ego from their job functions and have very high turnover rates for both their careers and their team members.
Surprisingly enough there are many bad managers in senior level positions, which mystifies me to this day.Perhaps that is the reason we have corporations that make many operational mistakes that a business 101 graduate wouldn’t dream of making.Just because someone has tenure doesn’t mean they are efficient directors of talent or know how to effectively manage people.The bottom line is they snuck under the radar somehow and their deficiencies will be discovered sometime in their career guaranteed.
The Mendoza line for managers would have to be the good managers.These are your “B” and “C” students in the professional arena.They know enough to get the job done effectively and produce results, but they could do better if they wanted to.True, they are a notch above the bad managers and their turnover is not as alarming, but they will never clearly embrace the overall big picture or exceed the long-term goals.
They are often content in the position they have and are comfortable where they are in their career.They are very reliable and absolutely necessary for a fully functional team in any organization.Their biggest downside is the extreme compassion they show for everyone and sometimes this can get them distracted for caring too much about the wrong things in operations.Everyone loves these managers and they are a valuable tool to boost morale and team building.
The highest level of any manager is the great manager.This is the manager that consistently exceeds expectations because they have a clear perception of what they can deliver and when.These are the rock stars that produce time and time again and are the envy of all their peers.Because they understand how to delegate, motivate and follow up, they can achieve the bottom line results far quicker than their counter parts and with much less energy expended.They are always awesome coaches and leaders, but they can be misunderstood in their practices.Not everyone understands the whys behind their actions and great leaders are often forced to make quick decisions, which could be unfavorable but necessary.
Without the great managers it would be impossible for any production to exist and the long-term goals accomplished.They are the captains, which sail their ships into uncharted waters and somehow still know where they are going.They know what it takes to get the job done and how to succeed.They are the winners and have the mindset that any mistake or misjudgment can be overcome with the right action plan.
They are the rare and valuable assets that many corporations need to be successful and generate most of the company revenues.They will not falter in any given situation and are unafraid of taking new actions or thinking outside the box.They also aren’t fearful of ruffling a few feathers to get things done.Without them we would have no economy or existing businesses to speak of.They are truly a diamond in the rough!
In conclusion, if you are a manager, which type are you?
A truly great manger is a master of self-assessment and would already have this question answered with little thought or hesitation.