How Good Managers Think & Act

1. Good managers are skilled at asking questions that give their team members a new perspective on the problem and reach the right solution on their own.

2. Good managers listen, then listen some more, and then some more.

3. Good managers address context first, then content. They don’t just stick a new process as a band-aid over deep culture wounds and hope that the pain goes away. They know that most problems are interpersonal problems at their core. They have a knack for identifying the root cause.

4. Good managers use their eloquence, charisma, and writing skills as tools, never as weapons.

5. Good managers know that, above all else, they are agents of their company. Their default operating mode is to facilitate & make company-optimal choices.

6. Good managers know that fixing broader company culture is an important part of their role as a designated leader within the company.

7. Good managers put their team members above their own self-interest when the two are in conflict.

8. Good managers understand that the long game is all about people. They put an individual’s mental & physical well-being above short term OKRs & results. They pay keen attention to a team member’s feelings in addition to their spoken words and can detect dissonance between the two.

9. Good managers consistently get results through their team. They have high standards for inputs, outputs, and outcomes. They aren’t satisfied with just meeting the minimum permissible bar for metrics, product quality, customer satisfaction, team collaboration, and so on.

10. Good managers are proactive about their team members’ career growth. They don’t dread career conversations with team members, they actively invite such conversations.

11. Good managers don’t have just one go-to management style nor do they have a notion of “THE ideal employee”. Good managers aim to create an inclusive & optimal environment for each individual, based on their specific strengths, weaknesses, preferred style of learning & working.

12. Good managers can discern good intent from bad. They have zero tolerance for self-serving behavior that sabotages the team or the company, even if it’s coming from an otherwise highly competent team member.

13. Good managers build productive relationships with their peers and senior company leadership because they know that’s essential in helping their team members achieve their goals.

14. Good managers are confident & secure in their role. They model High Agency. They have a mature attitude and avoid pettiness. They know it’s fine to express vulnerability. They say “I don’t know” when that’s true. They love learning. They exude presence.

15. Last but not least: Good managers value clear thinking, sound judgment, and wisdom. They try their best, but also realize they (and others) are fallible, and anyone can have a bad day. They know that their own growth as a manager isn’t a binary value, it’s a continuous process.

I’ve personally gone from being a terrible manager 13 yrs ago to being "just okay" today. For many years in between, I actively avoided managing people because I knew I wasn’t good at it and didn’t enjoy it. That changed for me as I learned and discovered some of what you have just read.

That’s all for this article. If you’re a manager or want to be one, I wish you all the best in your journey. And if you're an individual contributor, I hope this context can be useful for you when you’re choosing your next role and manager.

❤️

Footnote:

For more Good Manager resources (including book recommendations), check out this Twitter thread: