Empathy, compassion, clarity, and the ability to delegate are common features that someone looks for in a leader. On the other hand, a vision, intelligence, and drive to take the team forward are qualities found in successful managers. However, as per several reports and studies, there are a few characteristics, balancing on one overarching principle, that govern the green flags in a manager.
Based on a study of a large multinational firm, with over 200,000 workers, 30,000 managers, across 100 countries, spanning 10 years, a single trait was found that makes someone a ‘great manager’. The ability to figure out people’s greatest strengths and steer them towards tasks that suit them best is how a great leader is made.
What sets a top manager apart
A top manager will also be known for their great knack for allocating tasks. Not just based on a time constraint, but a delegation based on strengths. More than that, steering their peers towards jobs just right for their roles, or helping them make the moves towards the shared goal.
Furthermore, the study found that managers agree that job shifting is necessary for everyone. Those employees work towards a task that they are genuinely good at and are interested in achieving the task. It eventually raised the productivity rates and resulted in positive effects for the company.
How to identify green-flag managers?
Being a top performer has been key to becoming a manager. Not only does it signify resilience, but high-achieving performers who motivate their teams. Based on an experiment, the study found that employees who were placed under a ‘high-quality’ manager were nearly 40 per cent more likely to move laterally within the firm, as compared to other top managers.
These changes were with respect to teams, roles, pay, and productivity. Within seven years of contact with a top manager, these people earned about 13% more than workers with lower-performing managers. And their performance metrics—like sales per capita—were 16% higher than other workers’ numbers.
In fact, their employees were noticeably more proactive; they were nearly 10% more likely than others to build out their profiles on the company’s internal job-matching platform, and over 50% more likely to step into short-term projects beyond their usual teams.
