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- What is Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) and How Does It Help in Equipment Effectiveness [ OverView ]
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- Why is Retrospection Needed? : A Complete Guide For Beginners [ OverView ]
- Developing Project Schedule : Role of Float, Leads, and Lags [ OverView ]
- Project Life Cycle vs Product Life Cycle | Know Their Differences and Which Should You Learn?
- Projects in Business Environments | A Complete Guide For Beginners [ OverView ]
- What is Business Agility ? and Why is it Important ? Expert’s Top Picks
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- Jira vs Trello | Know Their Differences and Which Should You Learn?
- Key Values and Principles Behind the Agile Manifesto | A Definitive Guide
- What are Scrum Ceremonies : The Ultimate Guide with Expert’s Top Picks
- Business Analyst vs Financial Analyst | Know Their Differences and Which Role is Better ?
- Learn Burndown Charts With Jira : Comprehensive Guide [ For Freshers and Experience ]
- What Is Scrum XP? : Step-By-Step Process with REAL-TIME Examples
- Phases of Project Management | Step-By-Step Process | Expert’s Top Picks
- Project Manager Salary in India – How much does a PM earn? [ Job & Future ]
- Why Do Scrum Masters Get Paid so Much? [For Freshers and Experience]
- What Best Describes a Scrum Team? All you need to know [ OverView ]
- JIRA vs TFS | Differences and Which Should You Learn?
- Anti-patterns of a Scrum Master : Step-By-Step Process
- SCM Tools and Frameworks | A Complete Guide with Best Practices
- Stages of Team Development | Everything You Need to Know
- Project Management Consultant : Job Description, Skills Required | Everything You Need to Know
- CSM vs PSM : Difference You Should Know
- Top Characteristics of a Project Manager : Expert’s Top Picks
- Roles And Responsibilities Of A Product Owner : Everything You Need to Know
- Common Project Risks and How to Tackle Them | Expert’s Top Picks
- Benefits of Having Shorter Sprints in Agile – Everything You Need to Know
- Group Discussion Tips | A Complete Guide with Best Practices
- PMP Certification Cost : All you need to know
- DMAIC Process and Methods | All you need to know [ OverView ]
- Agile Scrum Vs Kanban | Know the difference
- Deming vs Juran vs Crosby
- What is Project Scope Management and Why It’s Important?
- The Basic Principles of Project Management
- Top PMP Exam Questions and Answers for 2020
- Risk Management Strategies
- Roles and Responsibilities of A Scrum Master
- ROM Estimate Vs Definitive Estimate
- Guidelines for Creating and Maintaining a WBS Dictionary
- How to Become a Certified ScrumMaster?
- Top Professional Skills for 2020
- Fast Tracking Vs Crashing
- PMP Vs PRINCE2 Vs CAPM
- PMP Earned Value Management (EVM) And Formulas
- What is Certified Scrum Professional (CSM)?
- Top Leadership Theories Every Manager Should Know
- What is Deliverables in Project Management?
- How To Prepare For TOEFL
- History and evolution of the PMP Certification
- What Is Float In Microsoft Project?
- Rules to set you up for success in project
- What is Scrum Project Management?
- What Is Estimating Activity Duration in Project Management?
- What Are The PMP Terminologies Relating To Cost Knowledge Area?
- What is Project Scope Management processes?
- What Are The Types of Organization In PMP?
- Books to Beat the Scrum Master Certification
- Agile Coach Vs Agile Consultant
- What is the cost of quality in project management?
- Signs Your Career May Be Stagnation and Tips to Overcome Downturn
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) Certification
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification
- What is schedule Activity in project management?
- Why Do We Need a Project Charter?
- PMP Certification Exam Preparation Mind Map
- Why Quality Professionals Should Use Infographics In Project Management?
- Role of Earned Value Technique in Project Management
- What is Project Quality Management?
- Tools and Techniques to Estimate Project Cost
- What is a Project Charter And Project Scope in Project Management?
- Why Should You Conduct Project Status Meetings with Your Team?
- The 7 R’s of Change Management
- What Are The Categories and sources of risk in your project?
- What Is a Network Diagram in Project Management?
- What are The Types of Contracts In PMP?
- Residual Risk Vs Secondary Risk
- Impact of the stakeholders on the projects
- Effort Vs Duration Vs Elapsed Time
- Agile vs Scrum
- What Is Six Sigma Quality Assurance?
- How to Close a Project?
- What Qualifications Do You Need to be a Project Manager?
- Project Management Vs General Operations Management
- Enterprise Environmental Factors & Organizational Process Assets
- What is a project manager?
- Important Questions for PMP Certification Exam
- How is the PMP Exam changing, in 2015 & 2020?
- How To Renew Your PMP Certification?
- The Importance of Having Project Acceptance Criteria in Your Projects
- Tips for PMP Exam Preparation
- What is requirement traceability matrix RTM in Project Management?
- Poor Performance Appraisal? Here are the tips to turn any negative feedback into positive.
- How to build a successful Career in Agile and Scrum?
- Importance of Tuckman ladder model in HR management
- How To Apply For The PMP® Exam In Easy Steps
- How to Write a Six Sigma Problem Statement
- What is a lessons learned document in PMI?
- Perform Quality Assurance Vs Perform Quality Control
- How to Improve Quality Management Consistently?
- Interactive Vs Push Vs Pull Communication
- what is risk management?
- Key Appraisal Questions to Prepare For
- What are the MSP Certifications?
- What Is A Six Sigma Control Plan?
- How to Create a Project Plan in Excel?
- Agile Prioritization Techniques
- Tips to Help Millennials Climb the Corporate Ladder
- What is an Issue Log?
- Advantages of PMP over MBA
- Top Successful Project Estimation Techniques
- PMP Examination Preparation – ITTO’s
- Employee Training Rewards That Actually Improve Learning
- Lean principles
- What Does It Take to Become a Successful Agile Coach
- Projects VS Programs
- The Role of Six Sigma in Manufacturing
- The Top Formulas to Memorize Before Your PMP Exam
- Roadmap to CSM (Certified Scrum Master) Certification
- What are Some Qualities of a Good Manager and Good Leader?
- How to Handle Project Monitoring and Controlling Processes?
- Top Free Agile Tools For Any Project Manager
- Risk Assessment in Project Management
- The Concept of Zero Defects in Quality Management
- The Importance of Work Packages in Project Scope Management
- How to Get Project Management Experience for PMP Certification
- Different Ways to Calculate the Estimate at Completion (EAC)
- What Is a ScrumMaster?
- What is Risk Register?
- Agile Certifications
- Top-down Approach Vs Bottom-up Approach
- Leadership Vs Management
- What is Feasibility Study and Its Importance in Project Management?
- What Is a Project Management Plan?
- The Professional Advantages of the CAPM Certification
- PRINCE2 Vs PMP
- Rita Mulcahy’s PMP Prep and PMBOK® Guide
- What is Project Cycle Management?
- What is Project and Process Metrics?
- PMBOK® Sixth Edition is Here! What Project Managers Should Know?
- CAPM Certification
- Top Project Selection Methods for Project Managers
- Free Float Vs Total Float
- What is Critical Chain Project Management?
- How to Build a Career in Project Management?
- Scrum Master or Product Owner: What Suits You Better?
- Project Documentation and its Importance
- What is Performance Reporting in the Project Management?
- Top Highest Paying Tech Jobs in India

What are Some Qualities of a Good Manager and Good Leader?
Last updated on 01st Oct 2020, Artciles, Blog, Project Management
What are Some Qualities of a Good Manager and Good Leader?
Just because someone is in a managerial or supervisory role, doesn’t automatically make that person a true leader. That designation is often reserved for those who display a certain set of attributes in addition to practical business skills. These leadership qualities are in high demand for good reason — they can drive organizational success and elevate employee morale. Here’s a synopsis of the qualities of a good manager.

Inspires Others
Of all the attributes that set good managers apart, this may be the most important. The ability to empower members of a team and help each individual strive for excellence is often what drives an organization’s success.1 Great leaders tap into employees’ desire to make a difference in the world and positively impact their communities.
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Demonstrates Honesty and Transparency
Some people talk about how honest they are, but others embody it. Good managers fall into the latter group and usually display considerable transparency about their efforts. Because of that, their supervising executives and their managed employees know that a manager can be trusted. That trust creates loyalty, which is a powerful tool in any business.
Offers a Strategic View
There’s great value in working on the details of a project, but a good manager also has the larger view about why that project is necessary, meets business goals and connects to other efforts. Employees depend on that vision and on a manager’s ability to articulate how their work fits into that bigger strategic outlook.
Communicates Effectively
If employees are struggling to understand what a manager wants then communication is sorely lacking. A good manager has solid communication skills that are tailored to each situation. For example, he or she can relay strategic goals to a boardroom full of executives and also pinpoint very specific objectives to a project team. Demonstrating proficiency in a range of communication styles is a valued soft skill.
Leads by Example
Anyone can issue orders, but a true leader knows what it’s like to be in the trenches.2 When a good manager works side by side with a team and shows up physically and mentally for every task it’s definitely noticed. Similarly, when a manager sends out project due dates and then goes missing from the office or is unavailable for questions that’s also noticed.
Makes Informed Decisions
Although delegation is important for keeping specific projects on track, a good manager understands that there are some decisions that can’t be outsourced to employees. Solid decision-making provides clarity and focus for team members and removes the type of ambiguity that might send projects reeling offtrack. Some decisions might not be so straightforward, so part of a manager’s leadership qualities is the willingness to be creative, intuitive and confident in setting a new direction.
With leadership qualities like these, the results can be profound. Not only will you excel in your chosen career, but you’ll also bring significant value to every project and team that you helm. In every industry, there’s always a high demand for good managers with the business skills that make them great leaders.
Finding, keeping and developing great people isn’t easy, but finding, keeping and developing great managers is even harder.
What employees and employers expect of managers has changed dramatically in recent times. With new styles of management required, we need to revisit what we expect of managers and how we develop them to be their best.

In this article, we’ll explore research on effective managers from Google, combined with our own research at Culture Amp to uncover the 11 essential traits of great managers.
CONTENTS
- 1. A new breed of managers: Project Oxygen
- 2. Eight common traits of high-scoring managers
- 3. Manager effectiveness
- 4. The 11 traits of great managers
- 5. How to hire great managers
- 6. Effective development for managers
A new breed of managers: Project Oxygen
Tech giant Google is a leader in the space of redefining the role of managers. They deliberately decrease the level of power and authority managers have over employees. “Managers serve the team,” says Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt. Managers aren’t focused on punishment or rewards but on helping clear blocks and inspiring their teams.
Google’s Michelle Donovan, Director of People Operations, posed the question: What if everyone at Google had an amazing manager? So Google embarked on a new project to understand what that would look like.
Project Oxygen was named in line with a trend of borrowing names from the periodic table. Donovan thought it was apt, “Having a good manager is essential, like breathing. And if we make managers better, it would be like a breath of fresh air,” she said as quoted in the book Work Rules.
Google first identified the best and worst managers. They discovered that the teams who worked for the best managers were significantly more certain that:
- Career decisions were made fairly and performance was fairly assessed
- Personal career objectives could be met, their manager was a helpful advocate
- Work happened efficiently. Decisions were made quickly, resources were allocated well and diverse perspectives were considered.
- Team members treated each other with respect and worked transparently.
- They were involved in decision-making and empowered to get things done.
- They had the freedom to balance their work and personal lives.
They verified that managers had an impact on teams by tracking employee performance based on people switching between teams with good or bad managers. They consistently found that employees in teams with better managers were more satisfied.
In order to learn what good managers were doing that made them successful, Google conducted double-blind interviews with managers about their style using the same set of questions. From the interviews, Google identified eight common traits of high-scoring managers.
Eight common traits of high-scoring managers
- 1. Be a good coach
- 2. Empower the team and do not micromanage
- 3. Express interest/concern for team members’ success and personal well being
- 4. Be very productive/results-orientated
- 5. Be a good communicator – listen and share information
- 6. Help the team with career development
- 7. Have a clear vision/strategy for the team
- 8. Have important technical skills that help advise the team
Manager effectiveness
How Culture Amp identified the most common traits of successful managers
Project Oxygen identified the core behaviors of good managers at Google. You’ll see they’re not particularly surprising (Google was similarly underwhelmed by their findings). In looking at the traits of effective managers, our data and insights team at Culture Amp took things one step further. They conducted research with customers and reviewed current academic and practitioner research.
Three more behaviors were identified:
- 1. A manager’s ability to lead through change (emotional resilience)
- 2. Treat employees fairly and encourage diversity (fair treatment)
- 3. Focus on progress, not just results (overall effectiveness).
As a result, we’ve settled on the 11 traits of great managers.
The 11 traits of great managers
1. Caring
Managers who are caring take time to get to know the individuals in their team. They’re genuinely interested in people’s success and personal well-being and show this by regularly checking in with people on how they’re going both at work and outside work.
2. Coaching
Managers who are good coaches focus on developing the people they work with as well as getting the job done. They ensure they have regular one-on-one meetings with team members and encourage them to present solutions to problems, rather than solving problems for them.
3. Communicating
Managers who are great communicators are good listeners. They allow time for others to speak. They have a clear understanding of the organization’s vision and share it with the people in their team in a way that motivates them. They keep their team up-to-date on what’s happening in the organization.
4. Development
Managers who show a genuine interest in employees’ career development acknowledge improvement (not just deliverables). They take time to discuss people’s long-term career aspirations and help them understand potential career paths at and outside the organization.
5. Emotional resilience
How a manager behaves in challenging circumstances can have a significant impact on their team. Managers who are emotionally resilient are aware of how their mood affects others. They remain calm and productive under pressure and cope well with change.
6. Fair treatment
Managers who value fair treatment will allocate tasks and set schedules keeping in mind people’s capacity and development goals. They acknowledge good work. They build a diverse and inclusive team and encourage diversity of thought.
7. Fosters innovation
Managers who foster innovation empower their teams to make decisions – and learn from failures and achievements. They don’t micromanage people. They encourage innovative ideas and approaches and help people to implement them.
8. Overall manager effectiveness
Managers who are effective help people stay motivated to do their best work. They make the people they manage feel valued and supported. They feel they’re successful when the employees they manage are successful. People willingly recommend them as a good manager.
9. Results oriented
Managers who are results oriented ensure that performance standards are maintained. They work with team members to help remove blockers impending tasks being completed and help the team get workable outcomes from team meetings.
10. Technical capability
Managers with the required technical capability add value to their teams. They can roll up their sleeves and work alongside the team when necessary. They empathize with the challenges the team face and have the necessary skills to help devise solutions.
11. Vision and goal setting
A manager ensures the vision and strategy of the organization is translated into an actionable vision and strategy for the team. They help people understand how their role contributes to the organization’s success.