What Makes a Great Manager? Expert Panel Answers
What separates a good manager from a truly great one? Our expert panelists reveal the key traits, habits, and leadership skills that define outstanding managers – and how you can spot (or become) one.
Expert Panelists
1. Cultivate courage
In my work, coaching high-achieving women trapped in perfectionism and people-pleasing – what I call Good Girl Syndrome, I’ve seen how traditional management often unconsciously reinforces obedience over authenticity. But truly great managers do the opposite: they create psychological safety for their team to speak up, disagree, dream bigger, and bring their whole, unfiltered selves to work. They don’t just focus on KPIs – they ask, "What is holding this person back from being the best that they can be?" Julie Vander Meulen, Empowerment Coach for Ambitious Women
2. Lead with empathy
As someone who coaches leaders from both the business and nonprofit sectors, I’ve seen how powerful it is when a manager truly sees their team, not just for what they do, but for who they are. The best leaders don’t manage from above; they work with their team, tapping into individual strengths and building real trust. People aren’t numbers. When you lead with empathy, flexibility, and human connection, that’s when people actually thrive – and so does the business.
3. Ask, listen, and grow
Instead of solely defining probable criteria for being a great manager, being professional is more critical for executives, leaders, and entrepreneurs. Professionalism can be narrowed down to the following points: Reliability, accountability, responsibility, and credibility, while knowing that they don't know and maintaining their ability to listen, paraphrase, seek opinions and feedback, and distil facts. Armed with those, professionals can break down their knowledge, experience, and expertise to not only manage but also lead exemplarily.
4. Unleash team's potential
What sets great managers apart is their ability to see people not just as employees, but as whole human beings with dreams, fears, and untapped potential. They don’t manage tasks, they coach growth. Instead of focusing only on performance metrics, great managers ask, “What’s holding you back?”, “What lights you up?”. They create space for honest conversations, offer feedback that empowers rather than critiques, and celebrate progress as much as outcomes. The best managers know that when you nurture the human, the results take care of themselves. To become one, start by being deeply present in every interaction. Really listen. Learn what drives each person on your team and help them connect their daily work to a larger sense of meaning. Shift from telling to asking, from directing to developing. When you lead with empathy, curiosity, and belief in others, you unlock their greatness. And in the process, your own greatness.
5. Embrace self-reflection & awareness
As a Career Counsellor, I notice the qualities of good managers, whether they be up-and-coming or established leaders. They all have an innate capacity for observation, contextualization, and perspective. These capacities in turn rest on a foundation of self-reflection, self-regulation, and self-awareness. How does this show? Good leaders recognize that their leadership style is a dynamic process, one that develops and evolves over time. Good leaders regularly and comfortably reflect on their leadership style. They are always learning and integrating. Good leaders are observant and aware of the impact their style and approach have on the people they lead.
6. Build teams that outgrow you
A great manager understands that they are the supporting characters in their team's career journey and not the other way around. They understand the importance of adapting their managerial style to each individual. A great manager knows they don't need to tell people what to do, but instead, they foster a work environment where their team feels safe enough to try, fail, and yes, at times, disagree with them. In this environment, their team grows and becomes more confident, until eventually, they outgrow their manager.
7. Leverage influence
Military influence tradecraft offers powerful tools for business leaders navigating today’s competitive and complex environments. Originally designed to shape behaviour in conflict zones, these methods – such as audience analysis, narrative control, and cognitive targeting – are now applied to leadership, branding, and strategic communications. At its core, influence operates on the principle that people act based on emotion before logic, making deep audience insight essential. Narrative warfare, once used to weaken enemy resolve, is now leveraged by CEOs to build belief and drive transformation. Unlike traditional marketing, military-style audience segmentation reveals psychological drivers and social dynamics, enabling more precise and resonant messaging. Effective influence is subtle and ethical, guiding perception without manipulation, and shaping context rather than controlling content. By adopting these principles, business leaders can cultivate trust, inspire action, and shape movements, not just markets.
