Qualities of the Best and Worst Managers: Lessons I’ve Learned
Throughout my career, I've encountered many different types of leaders. Some have inspired me to be a better person and employee, while others have shown me exactly what not to do. It is often said that you learn more from bad experiences than good ones, and in my case, that holds true. The worst managers have taught me invaluable lessons on what not to do. The best managers have demonstrated the qualities that make teams thrive and have been inspiring role models.
Qualities of the best and worst managers
Characteristics of a great manager
Here are some of the best things managers can do:
Inspire your employees: Managers can inspire their teams to excel by setting a compelling vision and leading by example. By clearly articulating a shared purpose and demonstrating commitment through their own actions, managers motivate employees to align their efforts with the team’s goals.
Encouraging personal growth and recognizing individual achievements fosters a culture of continuous improvement and boosts morale. When managers actively support and celebrate progress, they cultivate an environment where employees are driven to surpass expectations and contribute their best efforts.
Provide clear communication and expectations: One of the most essential qualities of a great manager is clear communication. The best managers I've worked with have always set precise expectations and deliverables paired with clear timelines. They didn’t leave me guessing. Instead, they ensured that I knew exactly what was expected of me. This clarity reduces anxiety and allows everyone on the team to focus on their tasks without unnecessary confusion.
Provide leadership and confidence: Great managers exude leadership and confidence. They understand that a team's success often hinges on their ability to lead with clarity and decisiveness. Leadership is about more than just managing tasks—it's about motivating people to achieve their best work. Confident leaders don’t shy away from making tough decisions, and their self-assurance instills confidence in their teams. They are willing to take calculated risks, trust their instincts, and stand by their decisions.
Advocate for your employees: I had an amazing manager early in my career. I remember him well as he brought me to present a big idea to the Vice Chairman of the company. He allowed me to practice my presentation skills, refine my ideas, and hear from top management on the importance of the project. This manager advocated for me and helped me prepare for the meeting. This was a pivotal moment in my career because my manager trusted me and advocated for me and my success.
Show emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence (EQ) is another key trait of successful managers. The ability to understand and manage emotions—both your own and those of others—is essential for fostering a positive workplace. Managers with high EQ are empathetic, self-aware, and adept at navigating interpersonal dynamics. They can read the room, diffuse tension, and respond to challenges with calm and composure. This not only makes them more approachable but also strengthens their relationships with their team.
Resolve conflicts effectively: Conflict is inevitable in any workplace, but how it’s handled can make all the difference. Effective conflict resolution is a critical management skill because your success and satisfaction as a manager are directly tied to the success and happiness of your team.
A manager who can address conflicts head-on, mediate disputes, and find solutions that work will maintain a healthy, productive work environment. On the other hand, avoiding or mishandling conflicts can lead to resentment, reduced morale, and even turnover. A great manager understands that resolving conflicts promptly and fairly is essential to keeping the team functioning smoothly and maintaining their own well-being.
Provide regular feedback and follow-up: The best leaders don’t shy away from giving regular, constructive feedback. They don’t wait for annual reviews to point out areas of improvement or to recognize achievements. Instead, they offer feedback in real-time, allowing their team members to grow continuously. Regular and consistent check-in meetings also show that they care about progress and are invested in the success of their employees.
Show empathy and flexibility: One key trait of the best managers is their ability to remember that their staff are humans first and employees second. Life happens, and the best managers handle major issues with empathy. While they don’t allow personal problems to disrupt work constantly, they also don’t ignore them. A little understanding can go a long way in building loyalty and trust in you and your company.
Lead by example: If you want your team to work hard, you must work hard too. If you value a balanced life, you should model that behavior. One of my best managers was someone who led by example. If we had to work on weekends or late nights, so did he. If he wanted us to take time off to recharge, he did the same. It wasn’t just about telling us what to do—it was about showing us.
Set high but reasonable expectations: Setting high but reasonable expectations is crucial for managers because it can strike a balance between motivating employees and ensuring achievable goals. High expectations inspire team members to strive for excellence, fostering a culture of ambition and continuous improvement. This is best achieved through collaboration between the manager and employee.
Allow mistakes: Managers can foster a productive work environment by allowing employees to fail safely, which is essential for growth, creativity, and innovation. To do this effectively, they should create a supportive atmosphere where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities, rather than failures.
There is nothing more educational than allowing your employees to learn by doing - even if you could do the presentation, spreadsheet or design work better. When an employee does make a mistake, managers should offer constructive feedback and collaborate on solutions without assigning blame.
Encouraging a culture of open communication and resilience helps employees understand that setbacks are a natural part of the learning process. By managing mistakes, and reframing them as learning experiences in this way, managers not only build trust and confidence among their team but also promote a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
Provide mentorship: The best managers excel as mentors by actively investing in the growth and development of their team members. They focus on training individuals, addressing weaknesses, and expanding their strengths and skills, rather than seeing strong performers as threats. Instead, they recognize these team members as valuable assets that contribute to the overall strength of the team. Great managers seek out opportunities to develop their employees, providing guidance and support that fosters both personal and professional growth. By prioritizing mentorship, they create an environment where individuals are empowered to reach their full potential, ultimately enhancing the team's collective performance and success.
Show recognition: Good managers know the value of recognition. They praise you privately, in front of your peers and even their superiors when deserved. They also give credit where it’s due, rather than taking it for themselves. This simple act of recognition fosters a sense of accomplishment and motivates the entire team.
Have integrity: Integrity is another cornerstone of strong managers. Whether it's sticking to their word or being honest about challenges, a manager’s integrity builds trust and respect from their employees.
Train employees: Another mark of a great manager is their commitment to training and developing their employees. The best managers don’t just assign tasks and hope for the best—they invest in their team's growth by providing necessary opportunities and resources for learning. They understand that training is not a one-time event but an ongoing process. By prioritizing continuous learning, these managers empower their team members to take on more responsibilities, grow their skills, and feel confident in their roles. They don’t view training as a cost but as an investment in both the individual and the company’s future.
Live the company values: The best managers I’ve worked with don’t just talk about company values—they live them. It’s easy to print out a list of values and plaster them on the wall, but it takes real leadership to embody those values in everyday actions. Whether it’s honesty, collaboration, or innovation, great managers make decisions and behave in ways that align with the company’s core principles. They understand that actions speak louder than words, and they hold themselves and their teams accountable to those standards.
One of the worst examples of management I have encountered was a manager who constantly talked about integrity as a core value but then disregarded company policies whenever it suited her. This manager brought her dog to work, which was clearly against company policy. Furthermore, and even more egregious, she asked the team to hide this from senior management and requested that the team babysit the dog when she was in meetings.
This disconnect between words and actions eroded trust within the team and created a toxic work environment. Employees feel proud to be part of an organization where values are more than just lip service.
Be organized: Being organized is another key trait of effective managers. The best leaders know how to keep their tasks, projects, and teams organized. This means setting priorities, managing time efficiently, and keeping track of deadlines. An organized manager can maintain control over their work environment, which in turn helps the team stay focused and productive. Disorganization, on the other hand, leads to missed deadlines, confusion, and unnecessary stress.
Characteristics of a bad manager
On the flip side, I have had my share of bad managers too, and their mistakes have been equally or more educational. Bad managers tend to:
Engage in office politics: Bad managers play politics, take credit for the work of others, and blame their team for their own mistakes. The best managers, on the other hand, steer clear of getting tangled in office politics. They focus on their work, their team, and the company’s goals, rather than engaging in gossip or playing favorites. By maintaining professionalism and good managers and setting a positive example, they create an environment where everyone feels respected and valued.
Be entitled: When managers feel entitled, they often expect special privileges or unearned respect, leading to favoritism and unfair treatment of employees. This attitude can stifle motivation, diminish trust, and create a culture where hard work is undervalued.
One senior manager I worked with sent a rush job to his branding team to have the creative department make a poster for his wife on their anniversary. Instead of inspiring and leading by example, entitled managers may become disengaged and disconnected from their team's needs, ultimately hindering productivity and growth and creating resentment.
Make uninformed decisions: One of my worst experiences was with a C-level manager who would jump at the whims of other senior executives without considering the impact. This led to unnecessary staffing and operational changes that created chaos and disruptions in operations. Had this manager taken the time to consult the team affected and paused before acting impulsively she would have saved us all a lot of trouble and the team would have proposed much better and thoughtful solutions.
Disrespect employees' time: I’ve also worked with a manager who would come in late and leave early, sneaking out as if no one noticed. This lack of commitment not only demotivated the team but also created resentment. In another case, a C-level executive showed a total disregard for others' time by arriving 1.5 hours late to a leadership meeting, leaving hundreds of people waiting in an overheated room. Worse, he then made everyone wait an additional two hours for a cocktail party, delaying it into the late hours of the night. This executive did not consider that the team had come from all over the country, were hungry and exhausted, and had families that were also affected by his lack of consideration.
Micromanage: When a manager is busy doing everyone else’s job instead of leading, they are too busy to manage. For example, one senior executive I worked with insisted on making all, and I mean ALL the decisions himself. It’s one thing for an executive to set the strategy and direction for the company, but an entirely different thing to micromanage.
Good managers empower their staff, trust them, and delegate responsibilities. This is a lesson in trust and autonomy—two things that are vital for a team's success. By empowering their team members, great managers not only relieve themselves of the burden of every small decision but also build a team of capable, confident individuals who are ready to take on leadership roles themselves.
Have a toxic management style: One of the worst managers I ever had instilled fear and anxiety in her employees. The team never knew which version of the manager would show up for the day—the one where she would joke around with the team or the one where she would inappropriately criticize what someone was wearing or what they were eating. This culture of fear and intimidation led to wasted energy and resentment along with high turnover.
Neglect managing/training: In contrast to good managers, poor managers neglect training, leaving their team to figure things out on their own. This not only hampers productivity but also diminishes employee morale. I've seen firsthand how a lack of training can lead to confusion, errors, and ultimately, high turnover. Investing in your team through proper training is essential for long-term success and employee satisfaction.
Fail to prioritize: One group leader scheduled monthly operations meetings to review major projects and discuss priorities. However, these meetings were frequently postponed due to the crisis of the hour, causing frustration among team members who struggled to stay aligned on priorities and track progress. Consequently, team members began to view these meetings as non-essential and often scheduled other commitments during the planned times. This lack of consistency underscored that the meetings were not a top priority for the manager, impacting the team's ability to stay coordinated and focused.
The right management qualities affect the whole company
I’ve learned that the best managers build you up, reward you, and lead by example. They are clear communicators, empathetic leaders, and trustworthy mentors. They invest in training, live the company values, and genuinely care about their team's success. They are organized, emotionally intelligent, confident in their leadership, and capable of resolving conflicts effectively. On the other hand, the worst managers fail to respect their teams, micromanage, and create environments of distrust and resentment –but they do make for some interesting and outrageous stories that teach you what not to do!
