How to become a Successful Manager – 51 Desirable Qualities you must Possess

Every manager wants to be the best and those who aspire to become managers want to be the kind that are hand-picked for projects and new opportunities.

A good manager has earned his respect and creates an workplace that is comfortable for all employees. Some of the desirable qualities of a successful manager are

1. Integrity-with this quality, a manager becomes the go-to person, while still managing to maintain the official boss status. He creates trust among his employees.  A manager with employees who trust him gains their loyalty and so they become very efficient in their work. They will deliver to the maximum, knowing that their manager is in support of them.
2. Loyalty-while it is good to have a manager that has an impressive CV, it also has a downside when he is the type who can easily slip away and work for a competitor. There is no limit in business; after all it’s just a job. However, every employer wants a manager who will exercise some form of loyalty to the business-not necessarily limiting himself from career improvement and seeking better opportunities. A loyal manager can be trusted by his bosses and this creates a very healthy working relationship between them and the staff too.
3. Empowerment; when you are a good manager you will help nurture the skills and talents of your employees by creating the environment that will empower them.
4. Delegation; you should know who does what best and be able to trust them enough to hand them some responsibilities. This will remove the strain from the manager who can then concentrate on other things
5. Creating opportunities; a good manager will help his employees to challenge their talents. This helps them to find new ways of doing business too
6. Understanding of business; the main reasons they are managers is because of their understanding of who’s who in the business environment and how things go about. This helps a lot with making changes and adapting to them
7. Problem solver; he takes action to solve problems immediately. he knows that putting off a problem to a latter date will only worsen a situation
8. Motivation; a good manager is himself motivated towards finding greater opportunities for his boss. Some of the ways of motivation includes bonuses and commissions among others, like interesting challenges and the recognition and appreciation of performance
9. Adaptable; he changes as fast as the business environment changes. When new competitors or new markets emerge, managers should be fast on their feet to identify them and change accordingly
10. Value in people; managers understand that people move business not the figures and the profits.
11. Networking; a manager has plenty of contacts in the business, which help in problems solving and making sure he has the right people who will make things happen for him.
12. Icon; he is an icon of appropriate standards of performance. He understands that you cannot expect certain behavior if you are not practicing it yourself.
13. Further; any good manager knows how to represent the ideas of his people when it comes to resource and budget allocation
14. Timely; he doesn’t delay any project and doesn’t run around at the last minute.
15. Tough; handles behavioral performance issues as they ought to.
16. Straightforward; is the kind to tell it as it is and addresses any issues immediately
17. Accepts positive criticism;  he knows this will build him up
18. A manager Is the link between his juniors and senior executives. He will protect them from company politicking to ensure they work to their best. He takes the heat when anything goes on with his juniors’ performance
19. He fixes issues with his team; the buck stops with him.
20. Knows what everyone in his team is worth; and he pays them as they are worth. He knows that compensation of employees is according to market standards and individual performance as well as company standards.
21. He is aware that money is not the only motivator of employees and works hard to ensure that the working environment is good for employees
22. He keeps his employees informed- will communicate on company strategies
23. He gives clear directions and defines all the goals of his juniors-he doesn’t consider himself too busy to do that
24. Challenges his employees to put in more; he encourages calculated risks by employees and getting out of their comfort zones. He knows that this is one of the ways they will grow
25. Grows his people to ensure his capabilities are well knows to his bosses
26. Set team standards; he is a beacon of values he practices
27. Honest; owns their mistakes
28. Diplomatic; deals openly, without offending other people
29. He has earned his position from skills he has demonstrated before
30. Committed; knows the corporate goals and standards and isn’t working on other things at the same time
31. Reliable; he is trusted to handle his people, having demonstrated the ability to do so before
32. Flexible; he allows creativity sometimes, not necessarily the rules and procedures of the corporate world.
33. Effective listener; understands before taking a stand
34. He is aware of the happenings in his business market
35. Good negotiator; ensures the outcomes of every decision is best for his juniors
36. Thorough planner; has his game plan on his fingertips
37. Fair; doesn’t take anything personally therefore doesn’t victimize or favor
38. Has a good sense of humor to keep the working environment positive
39. Understands all this workers; knows all their skills and capabilities.
40. Thinks on his feet; knows how to handle emergencies
41. Is patient with his employees; gives them time to hone their skills.
42. Work ethics are very important to him
43. Places a lot of value on his juniors and also his seniors
44. He knows that respect is earned and always comes back
45. Strives to improve his management skills by attending seminars and going for extra courses etc
46. Is responsible and accountable
47. Thinking outside the box is important for all managers
48. Still maintains friendliness, even as he is the boss
49. Is reachable, has opened the lines of communication
50. A good manager develops the skills of his subordinates
51. a good manager lets go when they lose