Peter Barron Stark Companies Helping CEOs, Managers & HR Professionals

A company’s success and reputation often ride on the people they select for management positions. Personality, approach, and style may vary from one manager to another, but we have found the best managers have six traits in common.

1. Desire to serve others
   The best managers take an interest in serving both internal and external customers. This contradicts the old-school belief that when you became a manager or supervisor, your direct reports are there to serve you. When employees know that managers have a desire to do whatever it takes to help them become successful in their jobs, employees and fellow team members will go out of their way to help the manager or supervisor, and the organization, be successful.

2. Strong work ethic
   The best managers are role models of successful behaviors in the organization. These managers and supervisors continuously produce positive results for the team and the organization. Their strong work ethic emphasizes consistency in producing top results rather than working longer hours than other team members.

3. Integrity and trustworthiness
   Leaders are people who others willingly follow, whether the leader does or does not have a formal title. Good management is built on good relationships, and good relationships are always built on trust and integrity. Without trust and integrity, employees lose respect, as well as the desire to follow their manager.

4. Willingness to learn
   There is absolutely no correlation between a manager’s level of formal education and his or her willingness to learn. Great managers are involved in lifetime continuous learning. We have found that learning cannot happen when managers only defend what they know. Learning starts when managers stop defending and start inquiring about what they don’t know or what they disagree with. Great leaders have a habit of out learning their competition.

5. Positive vision
   There are three types of visions: 1) a positive vision where the manager is helping to make the organization even better than it is today; 2) a vision of the status quo, the hope that tomorrow is like things are today; and last, 3) a negative vision that tomorrow, things are going to be even worse than they are today. Successful managers recognize that the only motivating vision is a positive vision of the future. It is the positive vision these managers promote that provides hope to everyone in the organization.

6. Effective communication
   Successful communicators adapt their communication style to put others at ease. Great leaders are able to clearly articulate their viewpoint and develop empathy for their counterpart’s point of view. They also communicate to others in a way that inspires them to perform at their highest level of effectiveness.

As you review these six characteristics, rate yourself. Use a scale of one to ten, with one low and ten high. Add up your points and ask yourself, “Do I have the right stuff?” Are there some areas where you need to set goals? If so, create an action plan to improve your lowest-rated areas. Good luck!

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Filed Under: Leadership, Peter's Blog on December 17th, 2009